Catherine Elton

2 weeks ago | bostonmagazine.com | Catherine Elton

At an age when most children are being cared for, Fernandes Anderson was already learning to look after others. At four, when her mother left Cape Verde for Boston, Fernandes Anderson found herself in a house filled with uncles, cousins, and others who had nowhere else to turn—at one point, she counted, some 21 people were living there. As a child, she took on the daily ritual of watching over her younger brother and sister, ensuring they were clean, fed, and made it to school each day.

2 weeks ago | bostonmagazine.com | Catherine Elton

In December, Fernandes Anderson was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft concerning a program receiving federal funds. According to Lauer, Fernandes Anderson will plead guilty to one count of wire fraud and the count of theft from a program receiving federal funds and the other four counts will be dismissed. The plea represents a stunning fall for a promising politician beloved in her district and across much of the Black community in Boston.

2 weeks ago | bostonmagazine.com | Catherine Elton

Indicted Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson has agreed to take a plea deal in the federal case against her for fraud related to taking a kickback from a former staffer. According to her defense attorney Scott Lauer, federal prosecutors are requesting a sentence of one year and a day in prison. Lauer told Boston the agreement, “affords us the ability to ask for a different sentence,” but would not specify what sentence he will be requesting for his client.

Dec 11, 2024 | bostonmagazine.com | Catherine Elton

Morning light spilled over Boston as Noreli Vasquez unlocked the black front door of her brick walkup near Maverick Square in East Boston. Tired after another night shift cleaning MIT’s math department building, she dragged herself down the hall to her apartment. And that’s when she saw it: an envelope taped to her front door. The notice inside made her heart stop—she had 15 days to leave for unpaid rent. Vasquez burst into tears as her mind spiraled: Where will I go? What will become of me?

Oct 9, 2024 | bostonmagazine.com | Catherine Elton

On a Sunday morning 11 days after the shooting, some 200 people solemnly filed into the Pinette Dillingham & Lynch Funeral Home in Lewiston, where photos of Artie lined the wall and the gritty, soulful sounds of “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd filled the room. On a table at the front, sitting in front of two crossed pool sticks, sat a black urn filled with Artie’s ashes.