LAWRENCE, Mass. — The Mayor of Lawrence said he will not resign from his position after he was indicted for dozens of state and federal charges.
Mayor Brian DePeña was indicted by a grand jury back in August for 11 counts of pandemic loan fraud, accused of obtaining a small business loan worth $1.5M for his tire sales business, Tenares Tire.
According to court documents, DePeña allegedly spent more than $880,000 to pay off high-interest mortgages on various businesses and put $90,000 into his mayoral campaign fund ahead of the 2021 election.
He was additionally indicted on four counts of wire fraud and seven counts of money laundering.
DePeña was also recently indicted by a grand jury for separate charges of wiretapping and witness intimidation after he allegedly secretly recorded a conversation between two city employees on a private camera in his office in March and shared the recording with 14 people.
“After careful consideration, I want to make clear that I will not be resigning from my position as Mayor of the City of Lawrence. I was elected to serve the people of this City, and I intend to continue fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to me and serving the remainder of my term in office,” he said.
DePeña said he respects the judicial process and the principle that every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. He said he is prepared to “vigorously defend” himself against the charges and address the allegations through the legal process.
Read the rest of his statement below:
While these legal proceedings move forward, my focus remains on the people of Lawrence and on the work of the City. My administration will continue to provide essential services, address the needs of our residents and businesses, and move forward with the important work taking place throughout our community.
I understand that residents, employees, and members of the community may have questions and concerns. I ask everyone to allow the judicial process to take its course and to recognize that allegations are not convictions.
I remain committed to serving the people of Lawrence, working with our City employees, and carrying out the responsibilities of the office to which I was elected.
Thank you to the residents of Lawrence for allowing me the opportunity to serve this great City.
— Mayor Brian DePeña
DePeña has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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