Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown Convicted Of Stealing From Phony Charity 
 
 Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Wallheiser/AP Mark Wallheiser/AP 
 
 Former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown has been found guilty of siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars from a charity that she and her chief of staff had passed off as a scholarship service for students. The Florida Democrat had faced 22 counts ranging from conspiracy to tax fraud; she was convicted of 18. 
 
 Of the more than $800,000 she and Elias "Ronnie" Simmons raised for One Door for Education, member station WJCT reports that just $1,200 actually went where they told donors it would: students' education. In roughly five years, prosecutors say, the charity distributed just two scholarships. 
 
 Prosecutors alleged — and on Thursday, the jury agreed — that Brown and Simmons pocketed the rest of the funds, using them for lavish events such as a golf tournament and luxury boxes for an NFL game and a Beyonce concert. 
 
 WJCT has more from the courtroom: 
 
 "Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tysen Duva and Eric Olshan painted Brown as an egotistical politician who lived beyond her means. Using bank records, checks, letters, emails and hundreds of other documents, prosecutors made the case Brown directed the deposit of $37,000 of One Door cash into her account. They also claimed she was instrumental in planning nine events that cost the sham charity $330,000." 
 
 Brown had argued that the fraud was entirely the doing of Simmons, who earlier pleaded guilty and testified against her. Brown didn't speak after the verdict was rendered, but her attorney James Smith told reporters, "I still have a lot of work to do on this case," referring to the sentencing phase and the motion he plans to file for a new trial. 
 
 WJCT's Ryan Michael Benk reports the sentencing phase could take 90 days or longer for Brown, who left office earlier this year after losing her re-election bid in the district she had represented for nearly a quarter-century. ||||| Bishop Rudolph W. McKissick, Sr., left,) escorts Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown outside the Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse on Thursday, May 11, 2017 in Jacksonville, Fla. Brown was found... (Associated Press) 
 
 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — After a historic, nearly 25-year career representing Florida in Congress, former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown was found guilty on Thursday of taking money from a charity that was purported to be giving scholarships to poor students. 
 
 The verdict came after prosecutors outlined a pattern of fraud by Brown, 70, and her top aide that included using hundreds of thousands of dollars from the One Door for Education Foundation for lavish parties, trips and shopping excursions. She was convicted of 18 of the 22 charges against her, including lying on her taxes and on her congressional financial disclosure forms. 
 
 Wearing a lavender suit, Brown watched the judge read each verdict in a silent courtroom with no visible reaction. She later left the courthouse holding onto the arm of a companion, surrounded by dozens of reporters. A few supporters shouted "We love you Corrine!" and "Keep the Faith!" as she silently made her way to a waiting car. 
 
 Brown, a Democrat who was one of the first three African Americans to be elected to Congress from Florida since Reconstruction, represented the district that included Jacksonville since 1993. 
 
 Since her indictment last summer, she had been publicly defiant of the government's charges, saying in a statement she was among black elected officials who have been "persecuted." She had pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, including the fraud, but lost re-election last fall after her indictment. 
 
 "Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown violated the public trust, the honor of her position, and the integrity of the American system of government when she abused one of the most powerful positions in the nation for her own personal gain," Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco, said in a statement after the verdict. 
 
 Key to the government's conviction was the testimony of Brown's former chief of staff, Elias "Ronnie" Simmons, and the charity's president, Carla Wiley. Both pleaded guilty after their federal indictments for misusing the charity's funds, and testified against Brown. 
 
 Federal prosecutors said Brown and her associates used One Door to bring in more than $800,000 between 2012 and 2016, including a high-profile golf tournament at TPC Sawgrass. Brown's indictment said the Virginia-based One Door only gave out one scholarship for $1,200 to an unidentified person in Florida. 
 
 Simmons said Brown ordered him to take cash and checks from One Door's account. On dozens of occasions, Simmons said he was told to take out of One Door's account the maximum $800 from an ATM near his house and deposit hundreds of it in Brown's personal account. Sometimes he kept some for himself. 
 
 Brown testified in her own defense, saying she was left in the dark about the goings-on with One Door's money, and blamed the theft on Simmons. 
 
 Brown said she left those details to Simmons and other hired staffers, and said she should have paid more attention to her personal and professional finances. 
 
 Her attorney, James Smith, said he plans to file a motion for a new trial and said Brown respects the American judicial system and the jury's verdict, even though she disagrees with it. 
 
 "She's strong and fighting for her innocence," Smith said outside the courthouse. "And she will continue to do that." 
 
 The judge did not set a date for Brown's sentencing, which could include many years of jail time. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Follow Jason Dearen on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JHDearen ||||| Updated 6:30 p.m. 
 
 Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown has been found guilty in 18 of 22 counts of conspiracy, wire/mail fraud and tax fraud for her role in a scam that bilked $833,000 from donors who thought sham charity One Door for Education was awarding scholarships to disadvantaged students. 
 
 Only $1,200 actually made it to students’ education. 
 
 Listen to the story airing on 89.9 WJCT-FM 
 
 Brown’s charges include seven counts of wire fraud, five of mail fraud, one of conspiracy, and three of falsifying tax returns. She was found not guilty on two mail fraud and two wire fraud charges. 
 
 Prosecutors argued Brown inflated her charitable giving to receive larger tax refunds and also failed to disclose tens of thousands of dollars in income she received from One Door and other sources. 
 
 Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tysen Duva and Eric Olshan painted Brown as an egotistical politician who lived beyond her means. Using bank records, checks, letters, emails and hundreds of other documents, prosecutors made the case Brown directed the deposit of $37,000 of One Door cash into her account. They also claimed she was instrumental in planning nine events that cost the sham charity $330,000. 
 
 Brown’s attorney James Smith crafted a defense that hinged upon the jury believing Brown Chief of Staff Ronnie Simmons was the real mastermind behind the around four-year fraud. 
 
 Smith told the court Brown was an aging public servant who relied heavily on Simmons and other staff to help keep her personal life in order. 
 
 Brown, who maintains her innocence, refused to answer questions while leaving court. 
 
 Her lawyer James Smith read this statement: “While she’s certainly disappointed by today’s verdict, she respects the American justice system and the jury." 
 
 Smith said he plans to ask for a new trial. 
 
 “There are a number of motions that we intend to file that we believe will stop this case from going forward to sentencing,” he said. 
 
 Judge Timothy Corrigan has at least three months to sentence Brown if he rejects Smith’s motions. Corrigan has wide discretion in her punishment because there are no mandatory minimum sentences for Brown’s charges, Smith said. 
 
 Corrigan will also decide the fate of two Brown associates — former chief of staff Ronnie Simmons and One Door for Education President Carla Wiley — who both testified against her. Simmons told the court he’s hoping for leniency in exchange for his cooperation. 
 
 Corrine Brown Verdict - Curated tweets by RyanMichaelBenk 
 
 ​LISTEN | This story is airing on Redux 
 
 Reporter Ryan Benk can be reached at rbenk@wjct.org, 904-358-6319 or on Twitter @RyanMichaelBenk ||||| Tough words for Corrine Brown from the Justice Department, found guilty today on numerous charges: 
 
 
 
 “Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown violated the public trust, the honor of her position, and the integrity of the American system of government when she abused one of the most powerful positions in the nation for her own personal gain. She shamefully deprived needy children of hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have helped with their education and improved their opportunities for advancement, and she lied to the IRS and the American public about secret cash deposits into her personal bank accounts,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco. “The Department of Justice is committed to fighting corruption and fraud wherever we find it, at all levels of government, regardless of their power and influence.” 
 
 “Former Congresswoman Brown chose greed and personal gain over the sacred trust given to her by the community that she served for many years,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Muldrow. “These guilty verdicts underscore our Office's resolve in holding public officials at all levels of government accountable for their actions. In this case, former Congresswoman Brown stole money that was donated on the false promise of helping further the educational goals of underprivileged children.” 
 
 “Former Congresswoman Brown took an oath year after year to serve others, but instead she exploited the needs of children and deceived her constituents to advance her own personal and political agendas,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Charles Spencer. “Corrupt public officials undermine the integrity of our government and violate the public’s trust, and that is why investigating public corruption remains the FBI’s top criminal priority. I am proud of our special agents, analysts and support personnel who spent countless hours following the money trail in this case, and thank our law enforcement partners at the IRS-CI and U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts to hold Brown and her associates accountable for their inexcusable actions.” 
 
 “Former Congresswoman Corrine Brown failed to deliver and uphold her duty to file true and correct tax returns by lying about her income and charitable contributions to feed her greed. No one is above the law, including those in a position of public trust, and there isn’t a separate standard when it comes to paying taxes, said Chief Richard Weber of the IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS CI, along with our law enforcement partners, will hold accountable those who violate the tax laws and cheat the taxpayers.”
– Former US Rep. Corrine Brown's "One Door for Education" charity raised $833,000 between 2012 and 2016 to award scholarships to disadvantaged students—but prosecutors say only $1,200 was spent on a total of two scholarships. Brown, a Democrat who represented a Florida district in Congress for 24 years, is facing years in prison after being found guilty on 18 of 22 federal fraud charges, WJCT reports. Prosecutors said Brown and aide Elias Simmons siphoned off the rest of the money raised by the sham charity, spending it on travel, lavish parties, and luxuries like private boxes for NFL games and a Beyonce concert, NPR reports. Prosecutors accused the 70-year-old of choosing "greed and personal gain" over public service. She "shamefully deprived needy children of hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have helped with their education and improved their opportunities for advancement," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Blanco, per the Tampa Bay Times. Brown, who lost her re-election bid after she was indicted last year, maintained her innocence and blamed the theft on Simmons. He pleaded guilty to fraud and testified against Brown, as did the charity's president, Carla Wiley, the AP reports. All three will be sentenced at a later date.