Former Treasurer of Ken Welch PAC Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud
ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Yolanda Brown, the former treasurer of a political committee supporting Mayor Ken Welch, pleaded guilty Sept. 23 to federal wire fraud in a scheme that included $207,500 in unauthorized transfers from the committee.
Brown, 47, of Arlington, Virginia, stole more than $1 million from clients of her financial consulting business between 2022 and 2026, according to federal prosecutors. Her guilty plea follows earlier financial reporting failures involving Welch’s political committees.
As the Tampa Bay Bugle reported in January, The Pelican Political Action Committee disclosed $207,500 in unauthorized expenditures to O’Reilly Business LLC, a company registered to Brown. Committee officials said they discovered the transactions during a financial review and immediately terminated her.
The money left the committee through eight transactions between Aug. 6 and Oct. 30, 2025, including two transfers totaling $125,000 on the first day, according to Florida Politics.
“Yolanda Brown betrayed the trust of our campaign and stole over $200,000 that our supporters contributed in good faith,” Welch said in a statement.
Committee officials demanded repayment and received documentation purporting to show the money was being returned, but the funds did not arrive. Officials subsequently began notifying state and federal authorities.
Brown had also served as treasurer of Welch’s earlier committee, Pelican PAC. The Bugle previously reported that the Florida Division of Elections revoked that committee after repeated failures to file required financial disclosures. Its replacement, The Pelican Political Action Committee, was registered as a legally distinct organization with Brown continuing as treasurer.
The theft disclosure intensified scrutiny of financial oversight within Welch’s political operation. His opponents questioned how the money went missing from a committee supporting a mayor who is an accountant by trade.
Committee Chair Adrienne Bogen defended Welch’s response, saying his decision to disclose the misconduct publicly helped expose a broader scheme. According to the Department of Justice, Brown stole more than $1 million from her clients between 2022 and 2026.
Brown operated Brown Financial & Consulting Services Group LLC, providing services to campaigns and businesses nationwide. Prosecutors said clients entrusted her with opening bank accounts and managing their money, which she diverted to personal expenses.
Brown pleaded guilty in federal court in Pennsylvania and faces up to 20 years in prison. The Justice Department said sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 26. FBI Philadelphia investigated the case with assistance from FBI Tampa.