Massachusetts State Rep. Chris Flanagan (D-Barnstable) was indicted by a Boston grand jury on Friday for an alleged fraud scheme that netted him tens of thousands of dollars, which he allegedly used for both personal and political expenses.

“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,” said U.S. Attorney Leah Foley.

During his time in the state legislature, Rep. Flanagan also served as Executive Director of a Home Builders Association (HBA) on Cape Cod. The indictment alleges that Flanagan used his authority as executive director to withdraw a total of $36,000 from the HBA and transfer it into his personal accounts.

He allegedly used those funds to pay his mortgage bills, his credit card debt, and $10,000 of the money to fund his political campaign. In addition to those funds, he allegedly used an HBU debit card to pay for hundreds of dollars’ worth of “personal psychic services.”

In May 2024, Flanagan allegedly logged into the HBA’s bookkeeping software via another employee’s account and entered false, backdated transactions for routine expenses such as travel or office supplies to account for the missing funds.

He also allegedly told the HBA board that he paid out of pocket for business expenses and that some of the funds were to reimburse himself. He even allegedly provided falsified invoices in an attempt to convince the board of his story.

Beginning in 2022, the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) began investigating Flanagan for a suspicious mailer claiming to be paid for by a group called “Conservatives for Dennis.”

He allegedly obstructed the investigation by claiming that a false persona he invented, Jeanne Louise, was part of an independent conservative group that supported the Democratic candidate. He reportedly even sent false emails from members of the fabricated group to the OCPF.

In 2023, Flanagan allegedly admitted that the persona was fabricated and that he had sent out the mailer, falsely attributing it to an invented conservative group.

That incident led to a broader investigation into Flanagan’s campaign finances. The OCPF discovered that he likely could not have issued a $10,000 campaign check without using HBA funds, as his personal account only contained $42.28 just one week before the campaign check was issued.

Flanagan reportedly claimed that the $10,000 was legitimate reimbursement for personal funds used to pay for HBA expenses.

He faces charges of five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsifying evidence.

Each of the six charges carries a possible 20-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.