St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is calling for “full accountability” after Yolanda Brown, a former Treasurer for a political committee supporting him, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud.
Authorities say the scheme defrauded roughly 20 clients of more than $1.4 million. Brown — who previously served as Treasurer of The Pelican Political Action Committee — pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in federal court in Pennsylvania, according to a release from Welch’s political operation citing federal court documents.
The committee disclosed in January that Brown had made $207,500 in unauthorized transactions to O’Reilly Business LLC, a company she controlled. 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.
“Yolanda Brown betrayed the trust of our campaign and stole over $200,000 that our supporters contributed in good faith,” Welch said.
Brown faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution. Her sentencing is expected later this year.
The fraud came to light as Welch worked to kick off his re-election campaign. It also became a recurring point of criticism from opponents, who questioned how the money went missing from a political committee backing a Mayor who is an accountant by trade.
Pelican Political Action Committee Chair Adrienne Bogen defended Welch’s handling of the discovery, crediting him with helping bring the wider misconduct to light.
“Ken was one of the first candidates to bring this misconduct to light publicly because he knew it was the right thing to do,” Bogen said.
“Speaking out required courage, particularly during a competitive election year when he knew the disclosure could be used against him politically. Ken chose transparency over political convenience and accountability over silence. By coming forward, he helped expose a much broader scheme, protect others from further harm and ensure that the victims’ voices were heard.”
According to Welch’s Wednesday release, the scheme operated from approximately January 2022 through June 2026 and involved more than $1.4 million. Brown repaid more than $400,000, leaving her victims with a combined net loss exceeding $1 million.
Welch framed findings that Brown defrauded nearly 20 other clients as evidence that the misconduct extended well beyond his political operation.
“Her guilty plea confirms that this was not a mistake or an isolated lapse in judgment. It was a deliberate, years-long abuse of trust that harmed our campaign and nearly 20 other clients across the country,” Welch said.
Brown operated Brown Financial & Consulting Services Group LLC, through which she provided financial and consulting services to political campaigns and businesses around the country. Florida Politics had previously reported allegations involving other political clients in Florida and Pennsylvania, including a political committee in South Florida and Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb’s congressional campaign.
Committee officials said at the time that they terminated Brown after discovering the transactions, appointed a new Treasurer and demanded that the money be returned. Brown provided a receipt indicating the funds had been wired back, but the money never arrived, prompting committee officials to begin notifying state and federal authorities.
Welch on Wednesday thanked the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement officials involved in the federal case while arguing that restitution alone should not end the matter.
“The plea agreement requiring her to repay every dollar she stole from Pelican Political Action Committee and her other victims is an important step toward making the victims whole,” Welch said. “But repayment alone does not erase the betrayal or the damage she caused. She must also receive an appropriate sentence and be held fully accountable for her actions.”
The guilty plea comes as Welch continues his campaign for another term as Mayor. He and former Gov. Charlie Crist are set to meet in the Nov. 3 runoff after advancing from the August Primary.