‘Calculated deception’: Federal jury convicts former Massachusetts state senator on 23 charges

BOSTON — A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a former Massachusetts state senator on nearly two dozen charges after a six-day trial for scheming to defraud the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and collecting income that he failed to report to the Internal Revenue Service.

Dean Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was convicted of 20 counts of wire fraud and three counts of filing false tax returns, according to the United States Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts.

Tran, who was arrested in November 2023, served as an elected member of the Massachusetts State Senate. He represented Worcester and Middlesex counties from 2017 to 2021.

During that time, federal investigators say he fraudulently applied for pandemic unemployment benefits after he had already accepted employment as a paid consultant for a New Hampshire-based automotive parts company, according to an indictment.

While working as a paid consultant, the feds say Tran fraudulently collected $30,120 in pandemic unemployment benefits and that he concealed $54,70 in consulting income that he received from the automotive parts company on his 2021 federal income tax return.

This all was in addition to thousands of dollars in income that Tran concealed from the IRS while collecting rent from tenants who rented his Fitchburg property from 2020 to 2022, according to prosecutors.

“Dean Tran defrauded the government out of unemployment benefits he had no right to receive. His fraud and calculated deception diverted money away from those who were struggling to get by during a very difficult time,” Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement. “Our office and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable public officials who lie and steal for personal gain.”

In June, Tran and his 54-year-old sister, Tuyet T. Martin, were indicted on obstruction of justice charges.

Investigators said the pair “attempted to cover up a sham job offer from the sister’s company to Tran.”

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of filing false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $100,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Tran is due back in court for a sentencing hearing on Dec. 4, 2024.

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

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