Former Massachusetts State Senator Dean Tran has received an additional 11 months in prison for his role in obstructing justice and making false statements to investigators. The new sentence was handed down on Friday as part of a plea deal, with Tran serving the additional time concurrently with his existing 18-month federal prison sentence.
Tran, 50, had previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the fraudulent collection of pandemic unemployment assistance benefits and willfully omitting consulting and rental income from his tax returns. In September 2024, he was found guilty of fraudulently collecting these benefits and is currently serving his original 18-month prison sentence.
Tran's sister, Tuyet Martin, also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in January 2026 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2026. The U.S. Attorney's Office stated that obstruction of justice can lead to the destruction or loss of evidence, allowing guilty parties to evade justice and deprive their victims of a fair and just outcome.
Tran has faced a cluster of criminal charges at both the federal and state levels, including violating state ethics laws and intimidating an elderly woman. He was previously sentenced to six months in jail for stealing a gun from the elderly woman, which he later returned but had also stolen a Colt .45 from her home while she hid in her bedroom.
The additional prison time serves as another blow to Tran's already marred reputation, highlighting his pattern of dishonesty and disregard for the law.
Tran, 50, had previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the fraudulent collection of pandemic unemployment assistance benefits and willfully omitting consulting and rental income from his tax returns. In September 2024, he was found guilty of fraudulently collecting these benefits and is currently serving his original 18-month prison sentence.
Tran's sister, Tuyet Martin, also pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in January 2026 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 13, 2026. The U.S. Attorney's Office stated that obstruction of justice can lead to the destruction or loss of evidence, allowing guilty parties to evade justice and deprive their victims of a fair and just outcome.
Tran has faced a cluster of criminal charges at both the federal and state levels, including violating state ethics laws and intimidating an elderly woman. He was previously sentenced to six months in jail for stealing a gun from the elderly woman, which he later returned but had also stolen a Colt .45 from her home while she hid in her bedroom.
The additional prison time serves as another blow to Tran's already marred reputation, highlighting his pattern of dishonesty and disregard for the law.
I'm not surprised about Dean Tran getting more prison time, honestly... 11 months is a decent chunk, but still seems kinda light considering how badly he messed up. Like, what kind of guy steals guns from people & then returns 'em? 
And to think he was in charge of stuff back in Massachusetts - it's wild how some people can get away with this sorta thing for so long... 18 months just didn't feel enough, you know? Anyway, at least justice is being served now.
. And another thing, why does his sister get to plead guilty too? Shouldn't that count as separate charges or something? 
. The fact that they're both in this mess is kinda sad, especially when you think about the elderly woman he stole from... I mean, that's just wrong, but on the other hand, he did return the gun and all 
.
he's like a master manipulator, thinks he can just game the system and lie his way out of trouble but nope, he gets caught again 
hope she gets a fair shake too 
his sister Tuyet's plea deal is coming up in May and I have no doubt it'll be a wild ride too 
I mean what even is the point of having an investigation when people are just gonna lie and cover their tracks like Tran did? 
it's just so frustrating when good people get taken down by their own mistakes (or in this case, deceit) 
anyway, back to Tran... I don't know what's gonna happen at his sister's sentencing but I hope justice is served 
... 11 months on top of the 18-month sentence he was already serving? That's a whole lotta time to think about his actions, ya know? 
. It's like they're trying to show that obstruction of justice isn't taken lightly at all 
. I mean, can you imagine if this happened in your neighborhood? The destruction or loss of evidence thing is super serious 
. It's pretty sad that people think they can get away with it, but justice usually catches up eventually 
...
, but at the same time, I think it's awesome that he's being held accountable for his actions 
. But, let's be real, this whole situation is a total mess... like, what's going on with all these family members getting involved? It's like they're trying to make it harder for the victims to get justice 
.
He was already getting 18 months for what he did, and now this is like rubbing salt in the wound. I mean, who steals a gun from an elderly woman and then returns it? That's some messed up stuff 
So let this be a lesson to us all: integrity is key, folks!
.
. And I'm sitting here thinking about it and then I started reading about this guy Tran getting more prison time... anyway, sorry to steer the conversation off track but that's just my brain working or whatever 
.
and what about the fact that his sister pleaded guilty too? shouldn't they both get time for their mistakes? 
. The system might be flawed, but it's working in this case 
.