(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A Democratic lawmaker in North Carolina was indicted for allegedly scheming to use COVID-19 relief funds to bankroll her lavish lifestyle, including a horse-drawn carriage at her birthday party.
Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown is accused of obtaining $124,165 in pandemic aid through fraudulent applications between April 2020 and September 2021, triggering charges of conspiracy to commit both fraud and wire fraud.
Brown’s daughters, Tijema Brown and Antionette Rouse, were also named in the federal indictment announced Thursday by the DOJ.
Federal prosecutors allege that Brown and her daughters conspired to defraud the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and its Paycheck Protection Program.
Their applications allegedly contained false documentation, including fabricated tax forms, to secure the $124,165 through at least 15 loans.
The federal government blindly deposited the funds into the defendant’s personal bank accounts.
Instead of using the funds for business expenses, the family spent the taxpayer-funded loans on personal indulgences, including $15,000 for a 2021 birthday bash complete with a horse-drawn carriage and throne, as shown in Instagram photos.
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Each defendant faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. If found guilty, the three defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each offense.
Brown dismissed the indictment at a Thursday press conference, vowing to stay in office: “Why would I resign? I haven’t been convicted of anything.”
She accused the federal government of using the indictment to “distract” from her work, though she did not specify which accomplishments they were targeting.
She also claimed to have repaid $20,833 to the federal government a few months ago.
