A Cape Cod Democratic state representative faces even more federal fraud charges, with prosecutors alleging he purchased things like personal Bluetooth speakers and campaign shirts and wrote them off as “office supplies” for his employer.
State Rep. Christopher Flanagan, 38, of Dennis, faces three additional charges of wire fraud, one count of money laundering, and three counts of filing false tax returns in a superseding indictment unsealed Friday. Flanagan was arrested in April 2025 and charged with five counts of wire fraud and one count of falsification of records.
Flanagan — who ran on the slogan “Service, Honesty, Integrity” — serves as the representative for the First Barnstable District, having been elected in 2022 to represent the towns of Dennis, Yarmouth, and Brewster in the State House. He had previously served three terms as a member of the Dennis Select Board. As a…
This type of fraud targets the supply chain and accounts payable departments of businesses.
- Invoice Manipulation: Criminals intercept a legitimate invoice between a supplier and a client and change the banking details to their own. The client pays the bill thinking they are paying their trusted vendor.
- Kickbacks and Bribery: A vendor secretly pays an employee of the purchasing company to ensure their bid is successful or to overlook inflated pricing.