Mayor Brian DePena of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was arrested Friday on federal charges that he fraudulently obtained more than $1.5 million in COVID-19 small-business loans and diverted the money to his political campaign and personal debts.

DePena, 61, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced. He was expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later Friday.