Massachusetts mayor charged with laundering $1.5 million in COVID-19 loan racket

Mayor Brian DePena of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was arrested Friday on federal charges that he fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million in COVID-19 small-business loans and diverted the money to his political campaign and personal debts. DePena, 61, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, the U.S. Attorney’s Office…