The Brief
- St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch says his reelection campaign was hit hard after more than $200,000 was stolen from its bank account.
- Former campaign treasurer Yolanda Brown pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing over $1 million from 20 different clients.
- Brown faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is speaking out after his former campaign treasurer pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $200,000 from his reelection account.
St. Petersburg mayor campaign theft
What we know:
Former campaign treasurer Yolanda Brown pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Wednesday in a Pennsylvania federal courtroom after transferring client money to pay for personal expenses. Federal filings show Brown stole more than $1 million from 20 clients, including a candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania and Mayor Ken Welch.
Welch discovered three large, unexplained withdrawals while meeting a campaign funds reporting deadline and immediately filed a report to spark an investigation. Brown faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and full restitution, with sentencing scheduled for Jan. 26.
Federal wire fraud investigation
What we don’t know:…