The embattled Mayor of Lawrence has been indicted by a grand jury on new charges of wiretapping and witness intimidation.
The Massachusetts State Attorney General’s office says Mayor Brian DePeña is facing 15 charges after allegedly secretly recording a conversation between two city employees on a private camera in his office in March of this year.
The AG’s office claims the mayor then shared the recording with 14 people.
DePeña requested and installed a security system for his office, separate from the security cameras that were already installed and maintained in City Hall in 2023, the AG’s office says.
The cameras in Lawrence City Hall do not record audio.
DePeña was arraigned earlier this month on charges related to COVID relief fraud.
The 61-year-old was accused of obtaining a COVID-19 small business loan worth $1.5M for his tire sales business, Tenares Tire. Prosecutors say that money was spent elsewhere.
Federal prosecutors say he “cashed in on a public health crisis,” using money meant for those struggling to stay afloat for his own personal benefit.
They say 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.
DePeña was arrested at his Lawrence home on Aug. 14, initially charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Boston 25 News has reached out to DePeña’s office for comment on the new charges.
He will be arraigned on the new charges at a later date.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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