A 2018 Democratic Massachusetts congressional candidate has been convicted of costs associated to misusing marketing campaign funds to pay private money owed.
Abhijit “Beej” Das, 50, of North Andover, was convicted by a federal jury in Boston Friday of 1 rely of accepting extreme marketing campaign contributions, one rely of conduit contributions, one rely of conversion of marketing campaign funds and two counts of constructing false assertion.
Each cost carries a doable most sentence of 5 years in jail and a effective of as much as $250,000. U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Jan. 17.
Das completed seventh within the 10-candidate Democratic major in 2018 for the third Congressional District seat, profitable lower than 2% of the votes solid . The seat would finally be gained by present Rep. Lori Trahan, who defeated Republican Rick Green within the common election that November.
The third Congressional District consists of a big swath of Middlesex County and parts of Essex and Worcester counties.
Das, an legal professional, was additionally the proprietor of what the feds described as “a financially struggling hotel business” that included the Stonehedge Hotel and Spa in Tyngsboro and the Daniel Hotel in Brunswick, Maine, in response to his indictment filed in June 2021. He additionally owned a 108-foot yacht named the “Troca One,” that was part of this struggling resort empire, in response to the indictment.
The particulars of the crimes are mired in bureaucratic maneuverings however boil all the way down to Das soliciting main marketing campaign contributions in extra of the $2,700 authorized restrict per donor — together with getting three folks to contribute about $125,000 which he structured as private loans to a member of the family to bypass this restriction. He would declare them as private funds after which contribute them in bulk to his marketing campaign coffers.
Between January and May 2018, the feds say, Das took out about $314,500 from his marketing campaign and used the majority of it, $267,000, to pay down money owed on his resort companies and a few actual property taxes that had been wholly separate from his marketing campaign.
But that’s not all, as simply 4 months in the past Das bought in some new sizzling water: a 10-count indictment alleging wire fraud, through which he moved some $5 million in escrow funds from his purchasers’ accounts for private bills. He pleaded not responsible to the fees on July 11. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley launched Das forward of the trial in that case.
“Protecting our elections through campaign finance laws is crucial in defending transparency and accountability in our government and a well-functioning democracy,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy.
“Mr. Das illegally solicited and accepted donations, used the money for a different purpose and hid his actions. He lied to the government and to the voters. He abused the campaign finance process and thought he could get away with it,” Levy continued. “Today’s speedy verdict by the jury after two-weeks of evidence should send a resounding message that the light of justice will always find its way to political candidates who break the law.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”