BOSTON — Yet another Boston city employee is facing criminal charges after a man was shot dead — and prosecutors say she played a role in the cover-up.

Jacqueline Cherisme, 34, a housing supervisor with the Boston Public Health Commission, was arrested in late June. According to investigators, she was behind the wheel when her passenger opened fire on a crowded Roxbury street in April. The shooter missed his intended target and hit two bystanders. One of them, Andrew Owens, died from his injuries.

A few hours later, Cherisme walked into a police station and allegedly lied about what happened. Prosecutors say she gave false statements, tried to interfere with witnesses, and withheld evidence. She was charged with accessory after the fact, two counts of witness intimidation, and two counts of withholding evidence from an official proceeding. Her bail was set at $4,000.

“This case demonstrates the dangerous and life-altering impacts of guns in our communities,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a statement reported by the Boston Herald. “Ultimately, this reckless and brazen conduct led to the injury of an innocent victim and the senseless and tragic death of Andrew Owens.”

Cherisme has been employed by the city since 2019 and makes $57,344 a year, according to public records. Her LinkedIn profile lists her as a housing supervisor. The Boston Public Health Commission says she’s been placed on unpaid administrative leave while they follow the “customary process” required under her union contract.

But once again — the public was never told. Her arrest wasn’t announced by the city, and no statement was issued until reporters started asking questions.

Arrests Keep Piling Up — But Wu Keeps Quiet

Cherisme is the fourth City of Boston employee arrested in recent months — part of a troubling trend where serious criminal charges are filed behind the scenes, and City Hall says nothing until it's caught.

In April, Daunasia Yancey, deputy director of the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Yancey, whose arrest was first reported by Mass Daily News, allegedly attacked her girlfriend’s ex-wife during a bizarre domestic dispute involving a birth certificate.

Rather than publicly address the arrest, the Wu administration kept it quiet. Yancey was quietly placed on paid leave for weeks — and only shifted to unpaid status after the city said new information came to light.

At no point did the city inform the public. There was no press release, no announcement, no acknowledgement — until Mass Daily News uncovered the charges and exposed the silence.

To this day, Yancey remains on unpaid leave, still officially employed by the City of Boston. The attempted cover-up has raised serious questions about transparency, public trust, and whether the administration is protecting insiders at the expense of the truth.

Then in May, two other Wu administration staffers — Marwa Khudaynazar, chief of staff for the Office of Police Accountability, and her boyfriend, Chulan Huang, a neighborhood business manager — were arrested after a domestic dispute in Chinatown. Both were placed on unpaid leave immediately, then fired five days later.

Unlike Yancey and Cherisme, the city did publicly confirm those arrests — but only after the suspects were arraigned and media outlets started digging. It’s a pattern that’s become hard to ignore: Boston residents aren’t told when their government employees are facing serious criminal charges.

Mayor Wu has not commented publicly on Cherisme’s case. She did speak out after the arrests of Khudaynazar and Huang, but notably framed the issue as a matter of those employees “invoking their official status” — not the alleged misconduct itself.

But in the cases of Daunasia Yancey and Jacqueline Cherisme, City Hall stayed silent. No public statements. No press releases. No transparency — until the press forced their hand. The pattern is clear: unless it makes headlines, the public isn’t told when city employees are arrested.

A Deadly Shooting, a Cop Connection, and a DA Shuffle

The shooting that killed Andrew Owens took place on April 19. Prosecutors say Charles Dixon, 40, opened fire from Cherisme’s car while trying to shoot another man, Ellis Santos, over an alleged debt. Dixon missed, hitting two innocent bystanders.

Dixon has been charged with murder, attempted assault, and multiple firearm violations. He is being held without bail.

Santos, the man Dixon was allegedly targeting, was also arrested. He’s facing firearms charges and was released on $2,500 bail with orders to stay away from witnesses.

Cherisme, the city worker who drove the vehicle, was charged for her role after the fact.

The case was originally being handled by the Suffolk County DA, but was transferred to Middlesex County “to avoid a potential conflict of interest.” That conflict? A Boston police officer is reportedly related to one of the defendants. The Suffolk DA’s office has refused to name who — prompting the Boston Herald to file a public records request.

Public Safety, Public Salaries — But No Public Disclosure

Why was a city employee allegedly driving a man with a loaded gun around Roxbury?

Why did she go to the police, only to lie about what happened?

Why are top City Hall officials being arrested for violent crimes — and no one is being told?

Mayor Wu’s administration has made equity and accountability its central message. But when it comes to serious criminal charges involving her own employees, that accountability vanishes. The public is left in the dark — unless someone else digs it up.

Boston deserves answers. At the very least, it deserves the truth.

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