Former Chelsea Housing Authority director McLaughlin pleads guilty

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – The former director of the Chelsea Housing Authority has pleaded guilty to four federal counts of falsely reporting his salary.

Michael McLaughlin entered the guilty plea Tuesday in U.S. District Court. Sentencing was scheduled for May 14.

McLaughlin was charged last month with knowingly concealing his salary in annual housing authority budgets from 2008 to 2011 and submitting them to state and federal housing regulators.

Authorities allege that in the 2011 fiscal year, McLaughlin reported his annual salary as $160,415, when his actual salary was at least $283,471 and his total compensation was at least $324,896. He is also accused of falsely reporting his income in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

McLaughlin resigned in 2011.

He is expected to cooperate with federal investigators on other cases as part of a plea deal. One case they could be talking about is the federal investigation about Lt. Gov. Tim Murray. The feds are investigating whether Murray took illegal campaign donations. McLaughlin and Murray were close friends.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group