Boston’s First Muslim & African Councilor Sentenced for Fraud
On September 5, 2025, former Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who made history in 2021 as the first African immigrant and Muslim elected to the council, was sentenced to one month in prison for orchestrating a kickback scheme that defrauded taxpayers of $7,000.
Anderson, 46, pleaded guilty in May to one count each of wire fraud and theft from a program receiving federal funds, with four additional wire fraud counts dropped in a plea deal, per ABC News. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani called her crimes “serious” and “heartbreaking,” ordering three years of supervised release and $13,000 in restitution, as reported by The Boston Globe.
The scheme involved Anderson hiring a relative as a staffer in 2022, despite a prior $5,000 fine from the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission…
