Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña Charged with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering in Unresolved Federal Case
Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts announced the charges on August 14, 2026. The case is at the charging stage only and has not been decided; DePeña is presumed innocent.
3 reports on this incident · first at Aug 16, 2026, 8:52 p.m. ET
This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.
Earlier reports
Aug 16, 2026, 9:23 p.m. ET
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña Charged with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering; Case Unresolved
On August 14, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts announced charges against Lawrence, Massachusetts Mayor Brian DePeña, a 61-year-old Democrat, following an investigation by the FBI, according to reporting by TheBlaze. DePeña has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering. The case is at the charging stage and has not been resolved: the charges are accusations that have not been tested in court, and DePeña is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Prosecutors allege that DePeña illegally funneled federal pandemic relief money — obtained as low-interest loans for his car and tire shop, Tenares Tire Services Inc. — into his political campaign, his IRS tax debt, and high-interest payments on other properties he owned. According to TheBlaze, DePeña allegedly misused $883,000 of more than $1.5 million received.
Those figures and characterizations are the government's allegations as reported by TheBlaze. They have not been established before a judge or jury.
The available record shows the proceeding at the charging stage and nothing further: no trial, no verdict, no sentence and no other resolution. Anyone reading this account at a later date should not treat the charges as a finding of guilt. The record cited here contains no response from DePeña or a lawyer for him, and no indication of how he intends to plead.
Aug 16, 2026, 8:52 p.m. ETFirst report
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña Charged with Pandemic Relief Fraud; Case Unresolved
On August 14, 2026, federal prosecutors announced wire fraud and money laundering charges against Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, a 61-year-old Democrat, according to reporting by TheBlaze. The charges follow an investigation by the FBI and were brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts.
This case has not been resolved. The proceeding is at the charging stage. No verdict, plea, dismissal or other outcome is recorded in the available reporting. Charges are allegations, and DePeña is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Prosecutors say DePeña illegally funneled federal pandemic relief money, which was obtained as low-interest loans for his car and tire shop Tenares Tire Services Inc., into his political campaign, his IRS tax debt, and high-interest payments on other properties he owned. According to reporting by TheBlaze, prosecutors allege DePeña misused $883,000 of more than $1.5 million received.
Every description of DePeña's conduct above is an allegation by prosecutors that has not been tested in court. Readers encountering this story after publication should not treat it as an account of a concluded case; as of the most recent information available here, the matter remains open and undecided.
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Revision history
- Version 117 Aug 2026, 01:23current
First published.
- Version 117 Aug 2026, 00:52current
First published.
- Version 117 Aug 2026, 01:53current
First published.
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