Former Boston City Official Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Fraud

BOSTON - The former Director of the City of Boston's Municipal Protective Services pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to obtaining federal pandemic funds through fraud.

Reuben Taylor, 40, of Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Feb. 12, 2027. Taylor was charged in October 2026.

Taylor worked for the Municipal Protective Services, an unarmed, non-sworn security division within the City of Boston's Property Management Department, since 2008. In April 2021 Taylor submitted an application for a $20,804 Paycheck Protection Program loan in which he falsely claimed that he had worked as an auto mechanic in 2019. Taylor supported his application with a fabricated Form 1040 and Schedule C, claiming that he received no wages in 2019 and instead received $99,863 as an independent contractor working as a mechanic. In the 2019 Form 1040 that Taylor actually submitted to the IRS, he reported earning $97,561 in wages as a municipal police officer and attached a Form W-2 from the City of Boston. In August 2021 Taylor submitted an application seeking forgiveness of the loan, claiming that he had spent the loan proceeds on payroll for his auto mechanic business. The Small Business Administration forgave Taylor's loan in September 2021.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation in Boston and the Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers in the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.

On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).

On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department's work to combat fraud supports President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste and abuse within Federal benefit programs.