State rep arrested, indicted on federal fraud charges

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Rep. Christopher Flanagan of Dennis was arrested on April 11 after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he allegedly orchestrated a multi-pronged scheme to defraud a local trade association of tens of thousands of dollars to be used to fund personal and political expenses, and then falsified records to conceal that alleged conduct.

The Democrat was expected to appear on April 11 in federal court in Boston, where the U.S. Attorney’s Office said he will face five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records. The charges stem from his time working as executive officer of the the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, from early 2019 to mid-2024.

An attorney for Flanagan could not immediately provide comment on April 11.

State regulators last spring concluded that Flanagan violated campaign finance law and then lied about it to officials. As a result, the Flanagan campaign purged $10,580 in excess contributions and paid a $6,000 penalty. Flanagan also agreed to pay a personal penalty of $9,000.

In January, Barnstable police announced they received a complaint in October alleging “potential criminal activity” involving Flanagan and the “Chris Flanagan for State Representative for the 1st Barnstable District” campaign. The department said the U.S. Attorney’s Office “adopted the investigation” in December.

When word of the federal investigation became public in January, the state Republican Party called on Flanagan to resign from the House, or for House Democrats to expel him. Flanagan responded by dinging the MassGOP for “political mudslinging.”

Flanagan cruised to reelection in November, winning 56 percent of the vote against Republican challenger Gerald Joseph O’Connell, who earned 43 percent.

House Speaker Ronald Mariano’s office did not immediately respond to a request for reaction from the speaker.

Federal prosecutors allege that Flanagan’s criminal conduct began in November 2021, about a year before he was first elected to the House. The 14-page indictment says Flanagan at that time “was facing personal financial difficulty, with thousands of dollars in outstanding credit card debt, missing mortgage payments and hundreds of dollars in bank overdraft fees” along with low and sometimes negative bank balances.

Between November 2021 and January 2023, the month Flanagan took office for his first term as a representative, he allegedly stole $36,000 from Home Builders and Remodelers Association accounts via at least five wire transfers ranging between $1,500 and $10,000 at a time. Most of that money was used to pay Flanagan’s mortgage bills, to pay down his debt, and to make personal expenditures.

But the $10,000 that Flanagan allegedly stole from the builders’ group on Jan. 28, 2023, was used to finance his successful campaign for state representative, prosecutors claim.

“Flanagan’s bank statements from the time of the deposit in January 2023 would reflect that he could not have issued the $10,000 campaign check without his theft of [builders’ association] money – showing a beginning balance of approximately $42.28 just one week before depositing the stolen funds,” U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley’s office said.

Prosecutors said the charges of wire fraud could each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of falsification of records could provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

“Today’s charges against Massachusetts State Representative Christopher Flanagan reveal an appalling breach of public trust. According to the indictment, Mr. Flanagan defrauded the very organization he was supposed to serve – allegedly funneling tens of thousands of dollars into his own pockets to pay off personal bills, buy luxury items and bankroll his political campaign. He allegedly stole money and then went to extraordinary lengths to cover it up, going so far as fabricating fake personas to mislead those who questioned his conduct. This alleged scheme was calculated on every level,” Foley said.