JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown's circle of family and friends could be forced to turn against her to save themselves, a legal expert says, after several were implicated in a 24-count corruption indictment against the congresswoman and her chief of staff.
The indictment accuses the pair of defrauding donors of $800,000 that was supposed to go to a charity helping children, One Door for Education.
Brown and Elias “Ronnie” Simmons pleaded not guilty to the charges that stemmed from a monthslong federal investigation into the unlicensed educational charity based in Virginia.
Prosecutors claim Brown, Simmons and the charity's president, Carla Wiley, used money donated to the One Door charity as a slush fund to buy plane tickets, repair their personal cars, pay for luxury vacations and purchase a luxury box at a Beyonce concert, among other uses.
The indictment said Brown and Simmons used close relatives -- labeled only as Person B and Person C -- to help funnel the funds.
Information in the court documents points to Person B being Brown's daughter, Shantrel Brown, and Person C being Simmons' sister, Monica Simmons Isom. Prosecutors said both women profited from the alleged criminal behavior.
The indictment also listed a Person A as benefiting from the charity slush fund. Person A “was a part-time employee in (Corrine) Brown's congressional office, who operated an independent consulting business.”
DOCUMENT: Indictment of Corrine Brown, Elias Simmons
The I-TEAM found information that points to Person A being Jacksonville businesswoman and former Corrine Brown associate, Von Alexander, with The Alexander Agency.
Curtis Fallgatter, an attorney who previously was a federal prosecutor for 17 years, said it's likely the three women will be used as witnesses in the case.
“One would think it would be fairly unlikely this would have a third chapter on indictments on those people,” Fallgatter said. “The government has to make strategy decisions. Why and how did they cast their net? How many people do they want to try to get the jury to convict?”
Fallgatter said the federal government can't compel close relatives to testify against each other, like a mother and daughter, but despite that he believes Simmons' sister will testify.
Isom, a fourth-grade teacher at Joseph Finegan Elementary School in Duval County, has worked for the school district for 25 years.
According to the indictment, Person C, who was listed as “a close family member of Ronnie Simmons and full-time teacher residing in Jacksonville,” was also listed as a part-time employee for Corrine Brown for 16 years, and that Person C received $735,000 in pay and benefits from the House of Representatives for a job that she didn't really have.
Prosecutors say that money was funneled to her brother for personal expenses, including a boat and credit card payments.
“If it's true she received funds she wasn't entitled to, she's involved in the theft also, so she could be prosecuted,” Fallgatter said. “She's entitled to take the Fifth Amendment, but the government could immunize her and compel her to testify against her brother.”
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The I-TEAM also found facts pointing to Person B in the indictment being Shantrel Brown, Corrine Brown's daughter. Person B is listed as “a close relative of Brown, and a lobbyist in the Washington, D.C., area.”
Shantrel Brown is a partner at a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm. She has a law degree and is a former assistant state attorney.
According to the indictment, Person B received a total of $8,900 in One Door money deposited into her bank account.
“They might want to call her as a witness, might use documents, use federal witnesses,” Fallgatter said of Shantrel Brown.
Both Corrine Brown and Simmons are charged with participating in a conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, multiple counts of mail and wire fraud, and concealing material facts on required financial disclosure forms.
Simmons is also charged with theft of government property.
I-TEAM: Indictment: Corrine Brown, chief of staff used 'close relatives' to funnel funds
Brown is charged with obstruction of the due administration of the internal revenue laws and filing false tax returns.
If convicted on all charges, Simmons could face up to 355 years in prison and $4.75 million in fines. He declined to comment on the indictment after the hearing Friday.
Simmons' next required appearance in court will be at the trial, which is scheduled to begin Sept. 6.
If convicted on all charges, Brown could be sentenced to up to 357 years in prison and would be fined $4.8 million.
Brown's next required appearance in court will be a status conference on Tuesday.
Fallgatter said given the complexity of the case, it's more likely the trial won't begin before the November general election. He expects it to be pushed to next year.