Brian DePeña vows to remain Lawrence Mayor amid criminal charges

Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña has announced he will not resign from his position despite facing both federal and state criminal charges. In a statement addressed to residents and municipal employees, DePeña asserted his intention to serve the remainder of his term, stating, “I was elected to serve the people of this City, and I intend to continue fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to me.”

DePeña is currently facing 11 federal charges related to fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors allege he misused more than $1.5 million in pandemic-era Economic Injury Disaster Loans intended for his business, Tenares Tire Services Inc., to fund his political campaign and cover personal expenses. DePeña has pleaded not guilty to these charges, maintaining that the federal matters involve business activities that predated his time as mayor.

Additionally, the mayor faces 15 state-level charges, including wiretapping and witness intimidation. The Attorney General’s Office alleges that DePeña used private security cameras at City Hall to secretly record two employees and subsequently shared those recordings. He is scheduled to be arraigned in the state case on October 13.