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Corrine Brown Prosecutors Want Jail Time, Repayment of Scammed Funds

Former Florida congresswoman’s sentencing hearing scheduled for Thursday

Former Rep. Corrine Brown answers questions from the media as she leaves the federal courthouse in Jacksonville, Florida, in April. (Bob Self/Florida Times-Union via AP file photo)
Former Rep. Corrine Brown answers questions from the media as she leaves the federal courthouse in Jacksonville, Florida, in April. (Bob Self/Florida Times-Union via AP file photo)

Prosecutors are calling for the former Florida Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown to serve prison time and repay money donors gave to her bogus charity.

The repayment of the $650,000 prosecutors say was scammed from donors would likely be split with Brown’s former chief of staff Ronnie Simmons and Carla Wiley, who ran One Door for Education, the Florida Times-Union reported.

Brown was found guilty of fraud earlier this year as a result of using money from One Door for Education for personal use and for receptions revolving around her.

Simmons plead guilty in exchange for testifying against his former boss.  

“The public deserves honesty and transparency in its elected officials and servants,” Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Tysen Duva wrote in a  sentencing memo to U.S. District Judge Timothy Corrigan.

“The court must fashion a sentence that informs public officials that when they use they use their political offices to perpetrate crimes, they will receive significant punishment,” Duva wrote

But Duva also said Simmons and Wiley should be given credit for their testimony, which Duva said gave “substantial assistance” in making the case against Brown. 

Wiley’s attorney wants his client to serve no jail time and said Wiley returned the money that was left in the account. Wiley’s attorney also said she was “less culpable” than Simmons and Brown.

Duva recommended that Simmons serve between 33 and 41 months and Wiley serve between 21 and 27 months in prison.

Wiley’s and Simmons’ sentencing hearings are scheduled for Wednesday and Brown’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

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