Lucas: U.S. Attorney Leah Foley only cop on the beat

A state cop, a state rep and a Boston city councilor — all bagged at the same time by U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley.

It was a trifecta.

The cop is former State Police Sgt. Gary Cederquist who last week was found guilty on federal charges in selling Commercial Driver’s Licenses to unqualified applicants.

Cederquist “chose bribery and extortion over his oath to protect the community over which he was sworn to serve,” Foley said.

The state rep is Chris Flanagan of Cape Cod, who was indicted on five counts of wire fraud and falsification for allegedly defrauding a home builders association where he once worked.

Foley said he used the money to bankroll his campaign and for personal use. She said it was “an appalling breach of public trust.”

“No one is entitled to power by way of fraud, and the people of Massachusetts deserve better,” she said.

And the councilor is Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, the first Muslim elected to the council, who last week pleaded guilty to wire fraud and theft. She has yet to resign.

Fernandes, who migrated to Boston from Cape Verde as a child, was accused of a scheme in which she gave a bonus to a staffer who then allegedly kicked back $7,000.

Pulling no punches, Foley said, “Her guilty plea today says what she refuses to admit in her media interviews: she broke the law, lied to the public, and used her office for her own personal gain. Ms. Fernandes Anderson leaves a legacy not of a selfless trailblazer, but one of fraud, greed and deceit.”

Foley, of course, could have said the same things about other public officials who have gone astray since they all seem to have something in common.

What these three cases illustrate is that all these alleged and confirmed transgressions of state law could have been investigated and prosecuted by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, the state’s “chief law enforcement officer.” But they were not.

Campbell, like Gov. Maura Healey before her, is apparently too busy suing President Donald Trump to pay much attention to crime or political corruption taking place under her very nose. Nor is there any sign of cooperation between Campbell and Foley.

Massachusetts is, in effect, a sanctuary state that views cooperation with the federal government on criminal matters like dealing with Russia.

Foley, nevertheless, is racking up an impressive record dealing with crime in Massachusetts. One week of criminal actions from her office reads like a drug and sex police blotter from some South American hellhole. For instance:

Monday, April 28: Connecticut man sentenced to 10 years on narcotics charges. Dominican national arrested for child pornography. Registered Holyoke sex offender charged with child pornography. Boston man pleaded guilty to possession of a machinegun.

Tuesday, April 29: Four illegal immigrants from Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala all arrested for illegal reentry into the U.S. Saugus man sentenced to 15 years for drug conspiracy.

Wednesday, April 30: A Dominican national living in Lawrence sentenced to three years in prison for fentanyl trafficking. Two other Dominicans living in Chelsea and Haverhill charged with distributing fentanyl and oxycodone. In one case, a 2-year-old child tested positive for fentanyl and cocaine.

Thursday, May 1: Boston man, a gun-carrying felon, sentenced to 57 months in prison under the RICO statute for distributing cocaine. An Ecuadorian man residing in Lawrence indicted for reentering the U.S. after being deported,

Friday, May 2:  An assistant admission director for Emmanuel College arrested for soliciting an underage college applicant for commercial sex. Revere man pleaded guilty for laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug money for Central and South American drug dealers. Four Boston men arrested or pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.

Saturday, May 3: Foley (maybe) took a well-deserved day off.

At least one cop is on the beat.

Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas can be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com