ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A former treasurer for St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch's political campaign pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal wire fraud after admitting to stealing more than $1 million from clients.
This includes more than $200,000 from Welch's reelection campaign, reports said. He goes head-to-head with challenger Charlie Crist in a Nov. 3 run-off after they earned the most votes in a crowded primary race.
Yolanda Brown, also known as Yolanda Rumph, 47, of Arlington, Virginia, pleaded guilty in federal court in Philadelphia to one count of wire fraud, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
Brown operated Brown Financial & Consulting Services Group LLC, which provided financial and consulting services to political campaigns and businesses around the country. According to federal prosecutors, she opened bank accounts for clients and managed their funds.
Between 2022 and 2026, Brown stole more than $1 million from clients and used the money for personal expenses, prosecutors said.
"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 in a statement, according to Fox 13. "Repayment alone does not erase the betrayal or the damage she caused."
Several "unauthorized transactions by OReilly Business LLC between August and October were reported in a January financial report for The Pelican Political Action Committee connected to Welch's reelection campaign, the Tampa Bay Times said. That business is registered to Brown.
She also served as campaign treasurer for Welch's first election in 2021, reports said.
In addition to Welch, one of her clients was a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She served as the campaign's treasurer from August 2025 until February 2026, defrauding the campaign of funds during this time, the news release said.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 26. She faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
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