Former U.S. Democrat Representative Corrine Brown was found guilty on 18 of 22 charges for fraud and tax evasion during trial verdict Thursday in federal court in Jacksonville.
Brown was found guilty of taking tens-of-thousands of dollars from her One Door for Education Foundation, a charity for poor and impoverished children, and putting the money into her personal accounts for use in maintaining an indulgent lifestyle.
She was also found guilty of conspiring within the scheme to defraud donors to the foundation, and guilty of attempts to impede/obstruct the investigation.
- Count 1, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud: Guilty
- Count 2, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty,
- Count 3, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Not guilty
- Count 4: aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 5: aiding and abetting mail fraud: Not guilty
- Count 6, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 7, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 8, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 9, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 10, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 11, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 12, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 13, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 14, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Not guilty
- Count 15, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 16, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Not guilty
- Count 17, aiding and abetting mail fraud: Guilty
- Count 19: Engaging in a scheme to conceal material facts: Guilty
- Count 21: Corruptly endeavoring to obstruct or impede the due administration of IRS laws: Guilty
- Count 22: Filing a false tax return: Guilty
- Count 23: Filing a false tax return: Guilty
- Count 24: Filing a false tax return: Guilty
(Via AP) […] Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown has been found guilty of taking money from a charity that was purported to be giving scholarships to poor students.
The jury’s verdict on Thursday came after prosecutors accused the 70-year-old Brown of using hundreds of thousands of dollars from the One Door for Education Foundation for lavish parties, trips and shopping excursions.
She was found guilty on 18 of the 22 counts against her, including lying on tax and financial disclosure forms.
Brown, a Democrat who represented the Florida district that included Jacksonville since 1993, had pleaded not guilty to all charges including fraud.
Brown’s former chief of staff, Elias “Ronnie” Simmons, and One Door’s president pleaded guilty after their federal indictments for misusing the charity’s funds, and testified against Brown.
Simmons said Brown ordered him to take cash and checks from One Door’s account that was put into the congresswoman’s personal accounts. (link)
