Lawrence Mayor Brian Depena Was Arrested

DePena, 61, faces single counts of both wire fraud and money laundering following his arrest in Massachusetts. He is accused of securing the Small Business Administration disaster loan for Tenares Tire Services Inc., a tire sales and automotive services business in Lawrence, during the pandemic. Rather than using the funds for the business, DePena allegedly spent over $880,000 on high-interest mortgages for several properties and funneled $90,000 into his mayoral campaign ahead of the 2021 election.

He has been mayor since 2021, having previously served on the Lawrence City Council. Ted Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston Division, accused DePena of "cashing in on a public health crisis and blatantly defrauding a government program meant to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic. "When elected officials misuse federal funds for personal gain, they're breaking the trust of their constituents — and breaking the law, Docks said in a statement.

"Together, with our partners, the FBI will continue to doggedly pursue anyone who defrauds the federal government. You'll be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and that 'easy money' won't seem so easy after all. DePena made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston Friday afternoon and was released after agreeing to several conditions, including turning over his passport and not seeking any loans without court approval.

After leaving court, his lawyer Carlos Apostle repeatedly responded with "no comment" to questions. DePena, who is a citizen of both the United States and Dominican Republic, responded with "God bless when asked if he would resign. He made no other comments.