Frank Lewis Brown, a former political consultant to the Montgomery County Commission, pleaded guilty to theft by deception of about $276,000 on Wednesday.
According to the Montgomery Housing Authority, Brown served as the government relations manager for the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH). Brown was appointed as a Montgomery Housing Board commissioner in February 2016.
ADAH director Steve Murray told 1819 News on Wednesday that Brown's employment ended at ADAH on November 1.
He is a member of the Montgomery Housing Authority's Modernization Committee and the Community Resource Committee. Brown is the Chairman of the Montgomery County Community Corrections and Punishment Authority.
According to the Montgomery Independent, Brown pleaded guilty to stealing $276,000 "in funds to which he did not have a right" in 2018. His sentencing hearing is at a later date.
The convictions arise from Brown stealing Montgomery County Commission funds meant to go to a local charity where he served as a board member. The charity, which was set up to help women and children suffering from the effects of substance abuse and addiction, effectively went defunct around 2017. Despite that the charity was no longer fully operational, Brown obtained $50,000 per year from the Montgomery County Commission for the charity between 2018 and 2023, totaling $350,000. In doing that, he represented to the Commission that the money would be used for the charity’s purpose. However, instead of helping women and children as the Commission intended, Brown pocketed $246,670, more than two-thirds of that money.
“Stealing from a non-profit is a despicable betrayal of public trust. Instead of using these funds to help those suffering from addiction, Frank Lewis Brown chose to line his own pockets. This kind of corruption will not be tolerated, and my office will continue to hold accountable those who exploit charitable causes for personal gain," Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said.
2teo350bq13zloxlndyrs2eg_950f38de-4855-4b5d-afcb-00d57fb071a3 by Caleb Taylor on Scribd
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