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Dean Tran, 48, of Fitchburg, was indicted on one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making a false statement. Tran's sister, Tuyet T. Martin, 54, of Pelham, New Hampshire, was indicted on two counts of obstruction of justice and one count of perjury, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.
“The charges against Dean Tran and his sister represent a serious breach of public trust,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Their alleged calculated effort to defraud the government and deceive federal investigators demonstrate a disturbing disregard for the law."
Tran was arrested in November 2023 and charged with fraud and tax schemes. He pleaded not guilty to those allegations.
Prosecutors allege that during their investigation, federal agents spoke to Tran about an alleged job offer that Martin made to Tran for Alecon Enterprises, Inc. Martin is the CEO of that company.
While executing a search warrant at Tran's Fitchburg home, federal investigators say he lied about the offer, and they question if she wrote the letter or if he forged it and her signature.
Investigators also allege Martin tried to hide and delete emails between her and Tran about the offer letter and say she provided false testimony to a grand jury in July 2023.
The charge of obstruction of justice comes with a potential 20-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $250,000. Making false statements can bring a 5-year bid in a federal penitentiary, according to sentencing guidelines.
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