Facing a federal court judge Friday, former state Sen. Brian A. Joyce denied that he used his political office for private gain in a $1 million bribery and kickback scheme.

Joyce, 55, pleaded not guilty to 113 charges, including racketeering, mail fraud, wire fraud, honest services fraud, extortion, money laundering, fraud and misapplication of federal funds.

Joyce was ordered released on a $250,000 secured bond. The U.S. Attorney's office did not seek to hold him. As part of his release conditions, Joyce surrendered his passport Friday. He is restricted from traveling outside of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The U.S. Attorney's office alleges that Joyce, a Democrat and former assistant majority leader, took steps to conceal kickbacks from the Senate Ethics Commission and defrauded the IRS by evading taxes.

"You just heard Senator Joyce, former Senator Joyce, in a very loud and firm voice in court that he's innocent of all of these charges. And he is and he expects that's what's will happen in court," Joyce's attorney, Howard M. Cooper, said outside the courthouse after the arraignment.

"I should just add that in the last few years, it's been apparent across the country that the federal government has brought a number of cases against public officials, which have either gone nowhere, or have been rejected by juries, or highly criticized by courts. That's all we have to say today," Cooper said.

He was led out of his Westport home in handcuffs before sunrise on Friday after what prosecutors said was a 2-year investigation.

Joyce appeared in court in a blue suit and tie with neatly combed hair. He was not wearing handcuffs or shackles. He sipped water out of a paper cup.



Several family members sat in the courtroom.

"We believe Mr. Joyce was greedy, plain and simple," Harold Shaw, special agent in charge for the FBI, said at a press conference Friday morning. "As alleged, he blurred the line between public duties and private business and failed to act in the best interest of his constituents."

Joyce is scheduled to return to court in February.

Starting around October 2012, Joyce approached the developer about purchasing and redeveloping the Milton Women's Club. It would have involved tearing down the building -- which was a historic club dedicated to women's issues and causes -- and dividing it into four lots. Doing that would require the approval of the Milton Planning Board for a property subdivision waiver.

In an email to the developer, Joyce wrote, "I suggest that we try for $600k, no inspection, finance contingencies but a 90 day due diligence period. ...We would make money even if four lots," according to the indictment.

After the developer purchased the property for $625,000, Joyce allegedly told the developer he wanted to be paid in the form of a car from one of the developer's dealerships.

A 2014 Jeep was given to Joyce, according to the indictment.

Joyce also took official action on behalf of a person who owns more than 100 Dunkin' Donuts franchise locations in exchange for hundreds of pounds of free coffee, the indictment says.

In December 2011, Joyce allegedly emailed the franchise owner requesting that the owner make $10,000 in donations to the Massachusetts Democratic Party, according to the indictment.

"Each check should be for $5000, with no reference to me," Joyce wrote.

The indictment also alleges that Joyce used his Canton law office, Joyce Law Office, as a money laundering conduit for corrupt payments and that he made false statements to the state Ethics Commission.

Other allegations include that Joyce pressured and advised various Town Administrators to use a particular energy broker. In return, Joyce got kickbacks in the form of commissions to a shell company, which Joyce controlled.

Joyce is also accused of using his position to pressure officials at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance to take official action on matters in favor of an Energy Insurance Brokerage Company. The company paid Joyce for his assistance -- in his role as senator -- in promoting, sponsoring and filing legislation that would benefit the EIB, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

And, Joyce is charged with conspiring to defraud the IRS regarding his purchase of more than $470,000 in common stock from the EIB Company. He falsely reported the stock purchase as a tax-exempt retirement account rollover in his personal tax return, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

"Defendant Brian Augustine Joyce, as State Senator, owed a duty of honest services to the District and Commonwealth of Massachusetts that included the duty to refrain from accepting, or agreeing to accept, bribes and kickbacks offered in exchange for his official action," the indictment reads.

The indictment looks at Joyce's conduct as far back as 2010.

Officials say the investigation is ongoing.

In 2016, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance said that Joyce had used $3,367 of committee funds to pay for a portion of the costs for the graduation party he threw for his son at his home.

Additionally, a volunteer for Joyce's political committee also used his campaign's debit card for personal use, withdrawing $4,480 without Joyce's knowledge or approval, OCPF said at the time.

Less than a week after FBI and IRS agents raided his Canton law office in February 2016, Joyce announced he would not run for re-election.