Ex State Rep. David Nangle Sentenced To 15 Months In Prison

CHELMSFORD, MA — Former Massachusetts State Rep. David M. Nangle was sentenced Wednesday for embezzling campaign funds, bank fraud, and tax fraud, according to Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell.

Nangle, 60, pleaded guilty in February to 10 counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, four counts of making false statements to a bank. and five counts of filing false tax returns.

“Former Representative Nangle was a 22-year veteran of the Massachusetts State House and former Chairman of the Ethics Committee when he illegally used campaign funds for private golf club dues, trips to casinos and expensive dinners,” said Mendell in a statement. “He broke the law and violated his duty to the voters – as Chairman of the Ethics Committee, no less.

"This case is the latest proof that this office is intent on holding corrupt public officials accountable," he continued.

Nangle, who represented Lowell and Chelmsford on Beacon Hill from 1999 to 2020 and previously served as a House Ethics Committee Chairman, allegedly used his campaign committee’s debit card to make personal purchases and filing false reports to cover up the nature of his spending.

Prosecutors say Nangle also devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain bank loans from 2015 and 2018 in order to finance his home, repay personal debts, and gamble and obstructed the investigation into his embezzlement and fraud by entering into a sham consulting agreement with a local business owner designed to make payments he received appear legitimate.

In addition to his time in prison, Nangle was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $33,347 to the IRS and forfeiture of $15,650.