Former Chelsea Housing Director Charged In Court

The former director of the Chelsea Housing Authority has been charged in federal court with falsely reporting his salary.

Investigators from U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz's office say 67-year-old Michael McLaughlin knowingly falsified his salary in annual housing authority budgets from 2008 to 2011 and submitted them to the state Department of Housing and Community Development.

Investigators allege that in the 2011 fiscal year, McLaughlin falsely reported that his annual salary was about $160,000, when he knew his actual salary was at least $283,000 and his total compensation was nearly $325,000.

McLaughlin's lawyer declined to comment on the charges Wednesday.

McLaughlin faces a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 on each count.

McLaughlin resigned from the housing authority in 2011.