Fort Lauderdale, Florida – Richelle Holness, the daughter of former congressional candidate and ex-Broward County mayor Dale V.C Holness, is currently facing serious federal charges. These charges stem from her role as treasurer during her father’s county commission campaign in 2020.
According to a federal court filing dated December 27, Richelle is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and fraud in connection with emergency benefits. The accusations stem from events occurring between August 2019 and October 2020. During this period, Richelle Holness is alleged to have misappropriated funds from her father’s campaign account for personal expenses. These expenses reportedly included items such as liquor, fast food, airline tickets, and clothing.
The court documents reveal a detailed account of the alleged fraudulent activities. Richelle Holness is accused of issuing checks from her father’s campaign account and then filing false reports. These reports claimed that the funds were used for legitimate campaign expenses like printing, consulting, and other services. However, the reality, as alleged in the documents, was quite different.
The scheme involved three co-conspirators who, after receiving the funds, were directed by Richelle Holness to return the money to her. This return of funds was executed through various means, including cashier’s checks, personal checks, or through the mobile payment service Cash App.
The court documents highlight multiple instances where thousands of dollars were issued from the campaign account and subsequently funneled back to Richelle Holness. Additionally, she is also accused of falsely claiming unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain emergency funds from the Department of Labor.
