A Democratic mayor in Massachusetts has been arrested on federal charges after prosecutors accused him of turning more than $1.5 million in pandemic-era small-business loans into a source of cash for his political campaign and personal financial obligations.
Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, 61, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Federal prosecutors allege that DePeña improperly diverted money obtained through the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program.
DePeña, who owns Lawrence-based Tenares Tire Services Inc., was first elected mayor in November 2021 and won reelection in 2025. Before taking the mayor’s office, he served on the Lawrence City Council from 2016 through 2021.
