Dennis Bradley Case: Charges, Verdict, and Sentencing

Former Connecticut state senator Dennis A. Bradley Jr. was convicted in March 2026 on six federal counts of wire fraud and conspiracy for a scheme to fraudulently obtain roughly $84,000 in public campaign financing during his 2018 state senate race. The Dennis Bradley case centered on a Bridgeport restaurant party that prosecutors said was his campaign launch, but that Bradley reported to state regulators as a law firm gathering to hide overspending from Connecticut’s Citizens’ Election Program.¹

What Bradley Did

Connecticut’s Citizens’ Election Program gives candidates public grants if they hit fundraising thresholds and follow strict spending rules. State senate candidates may contribute no more than $2,000 of their own money before applying for a grant.²

On March 15, 2018, Bradley held an event at Dolphin’s Cove restaurant in Bridgeport. Prosecutors said it was his campaign announcement party, and that Bradley spent well beyond the $2,000 limit on it: about $5,600 to the restaurant for food and an open bar, plus a band, a DJ, printed invitations, and a videographer.³ To hide the overspending, Bradley and his associates told the State Elections Enforcement Commission the event was a “thank you party” for his law firm, BDK Law Group.¹

The cover-up did not stop there. Contribution cards collected from attendees that night were altered so none bore the March 15 date, and the campaign’s SEEC filings left the Dolphin’s Cove event out entirely and misrepresented when donations arrived. Bradley then signed a certification that he had complied with state election laws and applied for a grant. On July 10, 2018, the SEEC issued his campaign $84,140. Bradley later sought another $95,710 for the general election; the SEEC denied that application in October 2018. Altogether the scheme targeted nearly $180,000 in public funds.³

The Charges and Co-Defendants

A federal grand jury in New Haven indicted Bradley on May 24, 2021, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden.⁴

Two others were charged in connection with the scheme, and both cooperated:

Jessica Martinez, Bradley’s campaign treasurer and a former Bridgeport Board of Education chair, was indicted alongside Bradley on conspiracy, wire fraud, false statements, and making false declarations before a grand jury. She pleaded guilty and testified against him at trial.⁵
Tina Manus, a former Stratford Town Council member and campaign volunteer, waived indictment and pleaded guilty on October 19, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She agreed to cooperate and was released on a $150,000 bond.⁶

Why the Case Took Nearly Five Years

The trial was delayed by a fight over a 28-minute video of the Dolphin’s Cove event, shot by videographers Bradley himself had hired. Prosecutors said the footage showed attendees holding campaign contribution forms. The government did not obtain the video until May 24, 2022, and turned it over to the defense the next day. Judge Bolden ruled orally on June 2, 2022, that the video could not come in, and the government appealed.⁷

On June 18, 2024, the Second Circuit reversed. The panel held that prosecutors had no duty under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 16 to hunt for evidence held by private third parties they had no reason to know about, and that they had met their disclosure obligations by turning the video over within a day of receiving it. The case went back for trial with the video admissible.⁸

The Trial and Verdict

Trial began on March 17, 2026, in federal court in New Haven before Judge Bolden.⁵ Over two weeks, prosecutors called twelve witnesses and described what they said was a pattern of “lies and half-truths.” Jurors watched the 28-minute video, saw text messages in which Bradley told staff he was “announcing that night,” and heard from cooperating witnesses Martinez and Manus. Former BDK attorney Joanna Haddad, who emceed the event, testified that Manus was collecting donations during the party. Another witness, Bieu Tran, said he had warned Bradley of possible legal problems before the party took place.⁹

Defense attorney Darnell Crosland argued that any unauthorized acts were carried out by Manus without Bradley’s knowledge, that his client was a “dupe,” and that prosecutors had failed to prove any wire crossed state lines, an element of wire fraud. He accused the government of “weaponizing the system.” Bradley did not testify.¹⁰

On March 27, 2026, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all six counts after deliberating less than three hours. Bradley told reporters, “The verdict is what it is and we’re going to push forward.” Crosland asked Judge Bolden to set the verdict aside, and the judge took the motion under advisement.¹¹

What Bradley Faces Now

Each of the six counts carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison. No sentencing date had been set as of late March 2026. Bradley, 43 at conviction, remained free on a $300,000 bond.¹ The felony conviction also puts his Connecticut law license in jeopardy.¹²

Who Dennis Bradley Is

Bradley grew up in Bridgeport and co-founded the law firm Bradley, Denkovich and Karayiannis, known as BDK Law Group.⁴ He was elected chairman of the Bridgeport Board of Education in December 2015 at age 31 by a 5-4 vote.¹³

In 2018 he ran as a Democrat for the state senate’s 23rd District, covering parts of Bridgeport and Stratford. He won the August 14, 2018, Democratic primary with about 55 percent of the vote and took the general election in November.¹ In the Senate he served as co-chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee and as a deputy majority leader.⁴ He won re-election in 2020 but lost the 2022 Democratic primary to Herron Gaston.¹⁴

1
CT News Junkie. Former State Sen.’s Fraud Conviction Splits State Leaders
2
CT SEEC. 2026 CEP Overview
3
U.S. Government Publishing Office. United States v. Bradley Indictment
4
CT Mirror. Bridgeport State Sen. Dennis Bradley Arrested on Federal Charges
5
News 12 Connecticut. Trial Begins for Former State Senator Dennis Bradley on Wire Fraud Charges
6
CT Post. Bridgeport Woman Admits Role in Dennis Bradley Campaign Fraud Scheme
7
FindLaw. United States v. Bradley, No. 22-1207
8
Justia. United States v. Bradley, No. 22-1207
9
CT Post. Dennis Bradley Campaign Fraud Trial Nears End
10
CT Post. Dennis Bradley Fraud Trial Closing Arguments
11
News 12 Bronx. Former Bridgeport State Sen. Dennis Bradley Guilty on All Counts in Wire Fraud Trial
12
News 12 Connecticut. Former Bridgeport State Sen. Dennis Bradley Guilty on All Counts in Wire Fraud Trial
13
CT Post. Bradley to Head City Board of Education
14
CT Post. Dennis Bradley Fraud Trial