Photo of mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts Brian DePena (courtesy of the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts).

By David L. Snelling
South Florida Times

The mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts, Brian DePena, said he will not step down following his arrest of fraudulent COVID-19 relief funds despite calls to resign and a no vote from the city council.

A recall petition drive is underway to remove him from office with at least 7,000 signatures needed to oust DePena.

DePena, born in the Dominican Republic, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges including stealing $1.5 million in pandemic funds through a loan fraud scam.

According to The Boston Herald, DePena applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) in 2020 and 2021 for Tenares Tire Services Inc., an auto repair and tire sales business he owned in Lawrence.

Offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration at 3.75 percent interest, EIDLs were strictly restricted to working capital for small businesses experiencing financial disruptions during COVID-19 shutdowns.

Federal prosecutors alleged DePena violated those terms by misusing approximately $883,000 of the loan proceeds to pad his political campaign account, pay off mortgages on various properties, cover personal taxes, and settle high-interest debt.

DePena, 61, previously served as a Lawrence City Councilor from 2016 to 2021, then was elected mayor in 2021 and re-elected in 2025.

If convicted of the federal charges, he faces up to 30 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.

The city council and residents have been calling for his resignation since his arrest but DePena refuses to step down because he claims he is innocent.

In a standard procedure following the arrest of an elected official, council members would call an executive session to discuss the charges.

But Lawrence council members opted instead for an open discussion before residents at a special meeting, where they called for his resignation.

The city attorney emphasized that the mayor’s legal troubles would not impact the city’s day-to-day operations and public funds.

In most U.S. states, the governor can suspend an elected official from political office following an arrest.

But under Massachusetts law, the governor does not have the authority to suspend a city mayor after an arrest.

The state’s municipal government statutes and city charters do not grant the governor any power to remove or suspend a mayor for criminal conduct.

On October 20, 2026, the Lawrence City Council voted 5–1–3 to express no confidence in DePeña but did not remove him from office; the only removal path is a recall.

Some council members have called for a recall, citing the seriousness of the allegations, while others emphasize that the decision should rest with voters.

Lawrence is a city located in Essex County Massachusetts on the Merrimack River with a population of 89,143, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

The city is a mayor-council-form of government with one mayor and nine council members.

According to the Census report, Lawrence, Massachusetts has a significant Caribbean population, which is home to one of the largest Dominican-American communities in the United States.

About 83 percent of Lawrence’s residents identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and within that group, Dominican ancestry is the most common single heritage.

A 2026 analysis of Massachusetts’ diaspora communities found that Lawrence has the highest single-ancestry concentration in the state, 52 percent Dominican, which is about 46,138 people.

This makes Lawrence a “Dominican cultural capital” in Massachusetts, rivaling cities like Washington Heights in New York.

Photo of mayor of Lawrence, Massachusetts Brian DePena (courtesy of the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts).