Brian DePeña faces new state charges for illegal surveillance

Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña is facing new state-level criminal charges in Massachusetts following allegations of illegal surveillance and witness intimidation. This legal development follows a separate federal case involving alleged pandemic relief fraud.

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office alleges that in 2023, DePeña installed a private surveillance system in his office that was independent of the city’s official camera network. Unlike the municipal system, which only records video, DePeña’s private equipment was capable of capturing audio.

Prosecutors claim the system secretly recorded a conversation in a hallway between former Chief of Staff William Castro and municipal airport official Francisco Ureña. The indictment states that at least one participant was unaware they were being recorded. DePeña is accused of distributing copies of this recording to at least 14 people, leading to the video circulating on social media.

In addition to 14 counts related to the distribution of intercepted communications, DePeña faces a charge of witness intimidation. The prosecution alleges that the mayor committed an additional offense in violation of witness intimidation statutes involving a witness in the case.