Former Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud, according to a federal court filing Thursday.
Brown was the first former felon elected to Charlotte City Council, having served time in federal prison on fraud-related charges more than two decades ago. Her redemption story was the core of her campaign message when she ran for and won her seat in City Council in 2023. She and her two adult daughters were indicted in May on charges related to fraudulently obtaining COVID-era relief loans in 2020 and 2021.
Brown lost her reelection bid in September.
Under the agreement outlined in the filing, Brown will plead guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for obtaining $43,000 in federal relief funds through the Small Business Administration and the Paycheck Protection Program, and for attempting to receive an additional $20,000.
Federal prosecutors say Brown spent the money on luxury goods and an elaborate birthday party for herself. The party cost about $15,000, according to the plea basis filing.
Details of the plea agreement were not included in Thursday’s court filing. However, Brown told WSOC-TV that the deal calls for probation rather than prison time.
In a Facebook post, Brown wrote, “God’s Favor is #unbreakable. It’s sad some of y’all thought I was going to prison.”
