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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) \u2014 A woman who previously worked as a staffer\u00a0for St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch’s campaign has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1 million from clients.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 26, 2027, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.<\/p>\n