Former Massachusetts State Senator Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Obstruction of Justice and False Statements

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, dated January 30, 2026. Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to one year in prison, 11 months to run concurrent with the current sentence and one month to run consecutive, followed by 18 months of supervised release. In December 2025, Tran pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making a false statement, after a federal jury convicted Tran in September 2024 of fraudulent collection of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits. The release says Tran made material misrepresentations to federal law enforcement agents about a letter given to unemployment agency officials.

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PRESS RELEASE


Former Massachusetts State Senator
Sentenced to One Year in Prison for
Obstruction of Justice and False
Statements
Friday, January 30, 2026

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

Defendant currently serving federal prison sentence for unemployment benefit
fraud and tax offenses

BOSTON – Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran was sentenced today in
federal court in Boston for attempting to cover up a fraudulent job offer and job offer
letter from his sister’s company.

Tran, 50, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor
IV to one year in prison, 11 months to run concurrent with his current sentence and one
month to run consecutive, to be followed by 18 months of supervised release to run
concurrent with his current sentence. In December 2025, Tran pleaded guilty to one
count of obstruction of justice and one count of making a false statement. Tran was
indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024 along with his sister, Tuyet T. Martin.

Tran was convicted by a federal jury in September 2024 for fraudulent collection of
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits and his willful omission of consulting and
rental income from his tax returns in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He is currently serving an 18-
month sentence in federal prison for those convictions.

“This case is clear and simple. It is about entitlement. Entitlement to
benefits Mr. Tran was not owed, entitlement to lie when confronted
and entitlement to blame everyone but himself. Dean Tran did not
only commit fraud; he lied, obstructed justice and tried to derail a
federal investigation to protect himself. Even after being convicted,
Dean Tran continued to deny responsibility for his actions,” said
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Today’s sentence makes one
thing clear: if you think you can lie to federal agents, manipulate
the system and obstruct justice – you are sorely mistaken. As we
have said over and over, no one is above the law. Justice is blind to
power, wealth and status.”
“This investigation underscores our continued commitment to protecting the integrity of
the unemployment insurance system,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General,
Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “Mr. Tran’s fraudulent receipt of
pandemic unemployment benefits was compounded by false statements made to
federal law enforcement during the execution of a lawful search warrant. Individuals who
exploit critical benefit programs and attempt to obstruct investigations will be held
accountable.”

“Today’s sentencing of Dean Tran demonstrates that lying to federal law enforcement
officers is a serious offense,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “Obstruction of
justice, at a minimum, prolongs an investigation and costs the American taxpayers
thousands of additional dollars. In these situations, obstruction can lead to the
destruction or loss of evidence, allowing guilty parties to evade justice and deprive their
victims of a fair and just outcome.”

“Anyone who obstructs a federal investigation is attempting to subvert the course of
justice, and when a former Massachusetts State Senator does it, that’s even more
egregious,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners will always seek to hold those
foolish enough to try to interfere with our cases accountable because it is a direct threat
to our entire system of justice.”

As part of an ongoing investigation into unemployment benefits and tax fraud schemes,
federal law enforcement interviewed Tran at his residence while executing a federal
search warrant. During the interview, Tran was asked about a letter he provided to
unemployment agency officials when his benefits were briefly suspended, and he was
attempting to have benefits reinstated. Tran made material misrepresentations to the
federal law enforcement agents about the letter, including that his sister and co-
defendant, Tuyet Martin, had authored the letter when she was not the sole author of
the letter and Tran had revised it before the letter was finalized and submitted to
unemployment officials. Tran also told federal law enforcement agents that his sister’s
signature appeared on the letter when in fact Tran had signed the letter, not his sister.

In January 2026, Martin pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice. She is
scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2026.

U.S. Attorney Foley; DOL IG D’Esposito; IRS-CI SAC Demeo; and FBI SAC Docks made the
announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy, Lauren Maynard and
Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.


Updated January 30, 2026


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