Former MA State Senator Pleads Guilty To Obstruction Of Justice, False Statements

WORCESTER, MA — A former Massachusetts State Senator pleaded guilty on Friday after attempting to cover up a sham job offer from his sister’s company.

Dean Tran, 50, who represented the Worcester and Middlesex district, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making a false statement before a U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV. He was indicted along with his sister, Tuyet T. Martin, in June 2024

Tran of Fitchburg is currently serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison for fraudulently collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Benefits and for willfully omitting consulting and rental income from his tax returns in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Regarding his recent charges, the DOJ said law enforcement interviewed Tran at his home during the execution of a search warrant.

During the interview, he was asked about a letter he had provided to officials at the unemployment agency while trying to have his benefits reinstated. Tran made false statements to law enforcement agents, accoridng to the DOJ.

He told officials that his sister had written the letter, that she was not the sole author, and that he had revised it before it was finalized and submitted. Tran also said his sister's signature was on the letter, even though he had been the one to sign it.

RELATED: Feds Charge Former MA Senator, Sister With Obstruction Of Justice

In June, Tran pleaded guilty to stealing a firearm from an elderly constituent and misleading investigators about what happened, according to the Attorney General’s office.

He could face up to 25 years in prison, along with multiple years of supervised release and fines totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.

SEE ALSO:

• Worcester Man Connected To Multiple Shootings Arrested In Texas
• Dominican Man Living In Worcester Indicted For Fraud, Identity Theft
  
• Former MA TSA Worker Charged With Receiving $47K In Pandemic Unemployment