Charlotte City Council Member Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Indictment for Wire Fraud

Last week, a U.S. attorney unsealed a federal indictment alleging that Charlotte City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown and her two daughters were charged with wire fraud in connection with false applications for COVID pandemic relief funds. Councilwoman Brown pleaded not guilty to the charges and will not resign from her position. When asked about the case by reporters, she vowed, she would “Never speak to the media again,” and said the media is ruining her reputation.

What the indictment alleges:

• The complaint claims that between April 2020 and September 2021, the defendants executed a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and the Paycheck Protection Program to obtain $124,165 through at least 15 false applications. Additionally, the indictment says the funds were placed in their personal bank accounts and spent on items not reflected in the loan application, including a $15,000 birthday party for Tiawana Brown.

  • The DOJ charged them with wire fraud, and they could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Since news of the indictment broke, her fellow members of the Charlotte City Council have not commented on the case. However, Brown plans to host a town hall tonight, so she might hear from her constituents about the fraud charges.