BOSTON (WHDH) – Massachusetts State Rep. Christopher Flangan was arrested on criminal charges Friday morning in connection with an alleged fraud and cover-up scheme, officials said.
Flanagan, 37, of Dennis, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records for “allegedly orchestrating a multi-faceted scheme that defrauded a local trade association of tens of thousands of dollars, used to fund personal and political expenses and falsifying record to conceal his alleged conduct”, according to U.S. Attorney Leah Foley’s office.
Flanagan appeared in court Friday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to federal charges.
Prosecutors said Flanagan stole up to $36,000 over a 14-month span from roughly November 2021 to January 2023. At the time, Flanagan served as executive director of the Home Builders Association.
The federal indictment shows thousands of dollars transferred in that time period from the Home Builders Association to Flanagan’s Bank of America account and his PayPal account.
Federal prosecutors said he used the money to pay off his personal credit card bills, to fund his campaign for state representative, and to pay for items for his home, including an electric dryer and air conditioner, as well on personal expenses like ties, dress shirts, children’s toys, and visits to a psychic.
The indictment also says over $500 in stolen funds were used to print tee-shirts in support of Flanagan’s campaign for state representative.
When investigated by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance about the funding for a campaign flyer, prosecutors say Flanagan lied, “attributing the source of a mailer to a false persona, Jeanne Louise, whom Flanagan created.”
Investigators said Flanagan also formed a group called “Conservatives for Dennis” and created an alias who claimed to be a member of an independent conservative group endorsing Flanagan’s candidacy.
The purported group sent campaign mailers in an…