Massachusetts Rep. Paulino Indicted on COVID-19 Fraud Charges

Massachusetts State Representative Francisco Paulino was arrested and indicted on federal charges Wednesday, August 26, 2026, for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $700,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds. The 46-year-old Democrat, who represents the 16th Essex District including Lawrence and Methuen, was taken into custody by the FBI and arraigned in Boston on an 11-count indictment. The charges mark the second arrest of a Massachusetts public official for pandemic-related fraud in less than two weeks. According to the U.S.