Former campaign treasurer admits to stealing $200K from St. Pete mayor

<p><a href="https://www.fox13news.com/tag/us/fl/pinellas/st-petersburg" target="_self" rel="noopener">St. Petersburg</a> Mayor Ken Welch is speaking out after his former campaign treasurer pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing more than $200,000 from his reelection account.</p><h2><strong>St. Petersburg mayor campaign theft</strong></h2><p>Former campaign treasurer Yolanda Brown pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Wednesday in a Pennsylvania federal courtroom after transferring client money to pay for personal expenses. Federal filings show Brown stole more than $1 million from 20 clients, including a candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania and Mayor Ken Welch. </p><p>Welch discovered three large, unexplained withdrawals while meeting a campaign funds reporting deadline and immediately filed a report to spark an investigation. Brown faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and full restitution, with sentencing scheduled for Jan. 26.</p><h2><strong>Federal wire fraud investigation</strong></h2><p>Federal authorities have not yet released an itemized breakdown of how Brown spent the stolen funds. It remains unclear how much of the stolen $200,000 Welch will ultimately recover through restitution.</p><h2><strong>Campaign treasurer fraud history</strong></h2><p>Welch hired Brown as treasurer during his first election in 2021 and experienced no issues until 2025. Brown appeared highly credible to political candidates, because she previously served as a treasurer for state legislative candidates and elected officials. </p><p>Welch only learned about her b…