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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A woman who previously worked as a staffer for St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch’s campaign has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1 million from clients.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 47-year-old Yolanda Brown, also known as Yolanda Rumph, owned and operated Brown Financial & Consulting Services Group LLC.
Officials said Brown offered financial and consulting services to political campaigns and businesses across the country, opening bank accounts for her clients and managing their funds.
Between 2022 and 2026, officials said Brown stole more than $1 million from her clients and used the money to pay for her own personal expenses.
According to Welch’s office, Brown previously provided financial compliance services to his campaign and stole over $200,000 from the Pelican Political Action Committee.
“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 Wednesday. “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.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2027, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
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