Ex City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson serving out-of-state prison sentence for kickback scheme

The former Boston City Councilor, who pleaded guilty to federal charges, is serving her prison sentence out of state.

Boston 25 News has learned that Tania Fernandes Anderson is being held at a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut.

Fernandes Anderson reported to prison last week.

She is serving a one-month sentence after admitting to running a kickback scheme while serving on the city council.

In a press conference the day she was sentenced, Fernandes Anderson was hypercritical of the media.

“I actually don’t like talking to you guys,” she said. “I don’t like being in the media, it’s just too much. So can you please, I’m asking you for the love of God, let the story go. It happened, I took responsibility.”

The former Boston City Councilor pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning federal funds after pocketing $7,000 in cash from a staff member’s city-funded bonus in a Boston City Hall bathroom in June 2023.

An indictment said Fernandes Anderson doled out a $13,000 bonus to a relative she hired on the condition that the $7,000 be kicked back to her to help her pay a fine following an ethics investigation.

Once she’s released, Fernandes Anderson will be under supervised release for three years.

Fernandes Anderson served as city councilor for Boston’s District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of Boston’s South End from January 2022 to July 2025.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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