Former Charlotte, N.C., councilwoman sentenced to prison for COVID fraud
A former Charlotte, North Carolina, city councilwoman has been sentenced to prison for fraudulently obtaining COVID relief funds with the help of her two daughters, according to federal prosecutors. The family obtained at least $146,665, spending some of the money on personal expenses, including about $15,000 on her birthday party.
Tiawana Brown, 55, was sentenced on Tuesday to 10 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. She and her daughters had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Between April 2020 and September 2021, the three submitted at least 13 applications for loans through the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program for their purported businesses, according to court records.
The applications contained false information and fictitious supporting documents, including a fabricated IRS Schedule C tax form. The family received at least $146,665 intended for qualifying business expenses but used the funds for personal spending, prosecutors said.
That spending included approximately $15,000 for a birthday party for the former councilwoman.
Her daughters, 32-year-old Tijema Brown and 34-year-old Antionette Rouse, both of Charlotte, received sentences involving probation and home detention. Each agreed to forfeit $51,666 in fraud proceeds, while their mother agreed to forfeit $22,500.
The three were also ordered to pay $137,280.09 in restitution to the Small Business Administration. Prosecutors said the former councilwoman has paid $20,833 toward restitution.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
