A state cop, a state rep and a Boston metropolis councilor — all bagged on the similar time by U.S. Legal professional for Massachusetts Leah Foley.
It was a trifecta.
The cop is former State Police Sgt. Gary Cederquist who final week was discovered responsible on federal fees in promoting Industrial Driver’s Licenses to unqualified candidates.
Cederquist “selected bribery and extortion over his oath to guard the group over which he was sworn to serve,” Foley mentioned.
The state rep is Chris Flanagan of Cape Cod, who was indicted on 5 counts of wire fraud and falsification for allegedly defrauding a house builders affiliation the place he as soon as labored.
Foley mentioned he used the cash to bankroll his marketing campaign and for private use. She mentioned it was “an appalling breach of public belief.”
“Nobody is entitled to energy by means of fraud, and the individuals of Massachusetts deserve higher,” she mentioned.
And the councilor is Boston Metropolis Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, the primary Muslim elected to the council, who final week pleaded responsible to wire fraud and theft. She has but to resign.
Fernandes, who migrated to Boston from Cape Verde as a toddler, was accused of a scheme during which she gave a bonus to a staffer who then allegedly kicked again $7,000.
Pulling no punches, Foley mentioned, “Her responsible plea at the moment says what she refuses to confess in her media interviews: she broke the legislation, lied to the general public, and used her workplace for her personal private achieve. Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, however one in every of fraud, greed and deceit.”
Foley, in fact, may have mentioned the identical issues about different public officers who’ve gone astray since all of them appear to have one thing in frequent.
What these three circumstances illustrate is that each one these alleged and confirmed transgressions of state legislation may have been investigated and prosecuted by Legal professional Normal Andrea Campbell, the state’s “chief legislation enforcement officer.” However they weren’t.
Campbell, like Gov. Maura Healey earlier than her, is outwardly too busy suing President Donald Trump to pay a lot consideration to crime or political corruption happening beneath her very nostril. Neither is there any signal of cooperation between Campbell and Foley.
Massachusetts is, in impact, a sanctuary state that views cooperation with the federal authorities on prison issues like coping with Russia.
Foley, however, is racking up a powerful report coping with crime in Massachusetts. One week of prison actions from her workplace reads like a drug and intercourse police blotter from some South American hellhole. As an example:
Monday, April 28: Connecticut man sentenced to 10 years on narcotics fees. Dominican nationwide arrested for baby pornography. Registered Holyoke intercourse offender charged with baby pornography. Boston man pleaded responsible to possession of a machinegun.
Tuesday, April 29: 4 unlawful immigrants from Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala all arrested for unlawful reentry into the U.S. Saugus man sentenced to fifteen years for drug conspiracy.
Wednesday, April 30: A Dominican nationwide residing in Lawrence sentenced to 3 years in jail for fentanyl trafficking. Two different Dominicans residing in Chelsea and Haverhill charged with distributing fentanyl and oxycodone. In a single case, a 2-year-old baby examined constructive for fentanyl and cocaine.
Thursday, Could 1: Boston man, a gun-carrying felon, sentenced to 57 months in jail beneath the RICO statute for distributing cocaine. An Ecuadorian man residing in Lawrence indicted for reentering the U.S. after being deported,
Friday, Could 2: An assistant admission director for Emmanuel Faculty arrested for soliciting an underage school applicant for industrial intercourse. Revere man pleaded responsible for laundering a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} in drug cash for Central and South American drug sellers. 4 Boston males arrested or pleaded responsible to baby pornography fees.
Saturday, Could 3: Foley (possibly) took a well-deserved break day.
At the least one cop is on the beat.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas may be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
