Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence former Boston city councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson to prison for a year and a day for running a bribery scheme they called “part of a larger pattern of putting herself first over her constituents.”Her defense attorney also filed a sentencing recommendation late Friday, arguing that Fernandes Anderson was a caring public servant who nevertheless “did not fully appreciate her role as a public steward.”Fernandes Anderson was arrested last December on federal fraud and theft charges. She pled guilty and relinquished her seat on the council.The filings were made a week before her sentencing, scheduled for next Friday.In their sentencing memorandum, prosecutors said their request of a year and a day in prison was justified by what they wrote was her “pattern of greed, deceit, and abuse of power.””Fernandes Anderson’s history shows that she never learns her lesson,” the government’s memorandum said, pointing to her being ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for an ethics violation related to her hiring her son and sister for City Hall jobs before beginning the bribery scheme.They also wrote that she used campaign finances to make personal purchases at Target for candles, throw pillows, skirts and other items.The bribery scheme involved her securing a $13,000 bonus for a staff member and then taking an envelope with $7,000 in cash from that staff member in a City Hall bathroom. Defense attorney Scott Lauer wrote that despite Fernandes Anderson’s background, “marked by poverty and trauma,” she rose to become what she saw as a voice for a marginalized community who “cares deeply about her district and how it is affected by council business.””But in other aspects of her position, she proved less adept. As a councilor, she was vested with discretion to hire staff, set salaries, and award bonuses. Ms. Fernandes Anderson’s instinct was to use her authority to uplift those she was closest to. She did not fully appreciate her role as a public steward, the need to set appropriate boundaries, and the importance of avoiding financial entanglements,” Lauer wrote.Lauer argued that Fernandes Anderson should be sentenced to probation and a “significant amount” of community service.
Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence former Boston city councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson to prison for a year and a day for running a bribery scheme they called “part of a larger pattern of putting herself first over her constituents.”
Her defense attorney also filed a sentencing recommendation late Friday, arguing that Fernandes Anderson was a caring public servant who nevertheless “did not fully appreciate her role as a public steward.”
Fernandes Anderson was arrested last December on federal fraud and theft charges. She pled guilty and relinquished her seat on the council.
The filings were made a week before her sentencing, scheduled for next Friday.
In their sentencing memorandum, prosecutors said their request of a year and a day in prison was justified by what they wrote was her “pattern of greed, deceit, and abuse of power.”
“Fernandes Anderson’s history shows that she never learns her lesson,” the government’s memorandum said, pointing to her being ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for an ethics violation related to her hiring her son and sister for City Hall jobs before beginning the bribery scheme.
They also wrote that she used campaign finances to make personal purchases at Target for candles, throw pillows, skirts and other items.
The bribery scheme involved her securing a $13,000 bonus for a staff member and then taking an envelope with $7,000 in cash from that staff member in a City Hall bathroom.
Defense attorney Scott Lauer wrote that despite Fernandes Anderson’s background, “marked by poverty and trauma,” she rose to become what she saw as a voice for a marginalized community who “cares deeply about her district and how it is affected by council business.”
“But in other aspects of her position, she proved less adept. As a councilor, she was vested with discretion to hire staff, set salaries, and award bonuses. Ms. Fernandes Anderson’s instinct was to use her authority to uplift those she was closest to. She did not fully appreciate her role as a public steward, the need to set appropriate boundaries, and the importance of avoiding financial entanglements,” Lauer wrote.
Lauer argued that Fernandes Anderson should be sentenced to probation and a “significant amount” of community service.
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