Lawrence, Massachusetts Mayor Brian DePeña indicted on wiretapping, witness intimidation charges

Lawrence, Massachusetts, Mayor Brian DePeña, who was arrested on federal charges in August, has been indicted on 14 wiretapping charges and one count of witness intimidation in connection with secret audio and video recordings at City Hall.

The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office said beginning in 2023, DePeña requested and installed a security system for his office that was separate from cameras already inside City Hall.

In March, a hallway conversation between two public employees outside the mayor's office was secretly audio and video recorded, unbeknownst to at least one of the employees, the Attorney General's Office said. DePeña then allegedly distributed copies of the recording to 14 people.

Security cameras owned and operated by the city do not record audio, and there was no public notice that the mayor's private surveillance system was recording audio.

The union representing Lawrence police officers called for the mayor to step down earlier this year after video of a heated argument in a City Hall hallway that appeared to be secretly recorded was shared by local radio show Despierta Lawrence. The video of the conversation between the mayor's chief of staff, William Castro, and the Lawrence airport manager set off political fireworks in the city. Castro was fired after the video was released.

DePeña is charged with 14 counts of distribution of a wiretapped communication and one count of witness intimidation. His arraignment on the new state charges will be scheduled at a later date.

In August, DePeña was arrested on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges after he allegedly improperly used $1.5 million in COVID relief money.

DePeña was elected mayor in November 2021 and was reelected in 2025. Before that, he was a member of the Lawrence City Council from 2016 until 2021.