BOSTON — Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson plans to plead guilty in a federal public corruption case tied to allegations that she stole thousands of dollars from taxpayers in a kickback scheme that took place in City Hall, court records show.

Fernandes Anderson has signed a plea deal and intends to plead guilty, according to a filing made Tuesday in federal court.

“Defense counsel has informed the government that the defendant intends to plead guilty and has signed a plea agreement,” U.S. Attorney Leah Foley wrote in the filing. “The government requests a Rule 11 date.”

The U.S. Attorney plans to recommend that Fernandes Anderson be sentenced to incarceration for a year and a day, according to the terms of the plea deal.

She intends to resign from her position on the City Council, according to a statement Fernandes Anderson reportedly gave to Boston Magazine. She did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.

“I have decided to plead guilty and resolve the case brought against me,” Fernandes Anderson said. “I would like to apologize to my constituents, supporters, and all who have been impacted. Please forgive me. I will be resigning. It is the right thing to do.”

Fernandes Anderson, a 46-year-old second-term city councilor, was arrested and indicted last December on five counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and one count of aiding and abetting theft concerning a program receiving federal funds.

A federal indictment states that she doled out a $13,000 bonus to one of her City Council staff members, a relative but not an immediate family member, on the condition that $7,000 be kicked back to her. The handoff was coordinated by text message and took place in a City Hall bathroom in June 2023, the feds said.

Fernandes Anderson agreed to plead guilty to one count of aiding and abetting wire fraud and one count of aiding and abetting theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, in exchange for dismissal of the other charges concerning wire fraud.

One of the dismissed charges pertained to allegations around the “defendant’s misuse of her campaign account,” and “filing false and fraudulent tax returns.”

The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of incarceration up to 20 years and the theft concerning a program receiving federal funds carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in jail.

The councilor’s guilty plea may also impact her immigration status, according to the plea deal. Fernandes Anderson was the first African immigrant, Muslim-American and formerly undocumented immigrant elected to the City Council.

“Defendant understands that, if defendant is not a United States citizen by birth, pleading guilty may affect defendant’s immigration status,” the court filing states. “Defendant agrees to plead guilty regardless of any potential immigration consequences, even if defendant’s plea results in automatically being removed from the United States.”

Fernandes Anderson’s resignation sets up the potential for a special election. A City Hall source said her City Council office has been nearly cleaned out. She represents District 7, which includes Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and part of the South End and, along with her colleagues, was set to be paid $120,000 this year as a city councilor.

“In coming days, I will evaluate transition plans and timeline with the District 7 Advisory Council,” Fernandes Anderson reportedly said. “I will do everything possible to make an orderly exit to ensure my constituents’ needs are met.”

Chuck Turner, the last Boston city councilor to be probed by the feds, was convicted in 2010 and sentenced to three years in jail in for pocketing a $1,000 bribe from an informant who claimed to be seeking a liquor license.

City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and Mayor Michelle Wu’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

City Councilor-at-Large Erin Murphy, however, called the latest development in the case against her colleague “deeply troubling.”

“Elected officials are entrusted with representing the public honestly and ethically, not abusing their power for personal gain,” Murphy said in a statement to the Herald. “Such actions erode public trust and perpetuate the damaging belief that our City Council is unworthy of the confidence of those we serve.

“I firmly believe that any official who engages in criminal activity or unethical behavior must be held fully accountable,” Murphy added. “We are here to uplift and protect the people of Boston, not to exploit our positions for personal benefit. To betray this trust is to betray every resident who looks to us for leadership.”

Murphy also called for the city to hold a special election “as soon as possible so the residents of District 7 have proper representation” on the City Council.

A number of candidates have already lined up to run for the District 7 seat.

Councilor Ed Flynn revived his call for the establishment of an ethics committee on the City Council in light of Fernandes Anderson’s plea deal.

Although the City Council recently voted against this proposal in January, "it is critical that we revisit this discussion immediately,” Flynn said in a statement. “We must understand that the people of Boston demand accountability, transparency, and ethics reform to restore faith in the body and their municipal government.”

Flynn’s statement also mentions prior ethical and legal lapses on the body, in reference to former Councilors Ricardo Arroyo and Kendra Lara, who became the first incumbents to lose in a primary election in at least four decades after their own lapses, in September 2023.

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