A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one-count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53, both of Tallahassee, Florida.
The Indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2019, defendants Gillum and Lettman-Hicks conspired to commit wire fraud, by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.
The Indictment further alleges the defendants used third parties to divert a portion of those funds to a company owned by Lettman-Hicks, who then fraudulently provided the funds, disguised as payroll payments, to Gillum for his personal use.
Both defendants are charged with 19 counts of wire fraud. Gillum is also charged with making false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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“I have spent the last 20 years of my life in public service and continue to fight for the people,” Gillum said in the statement. “Every campaign I’ve run has been done with integrity. Make no mistake that this case is not legal, it is political. Throughout my career I have always stood up for the people of Florida and have spoken truth to power.”
The charges cover a time when Gillum was a candidate for Florida governor. He eventually became the party’s nominee in August 2018, but lost to Republican Ron DeSantis that November by less than 33,000 votes.
The initial appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at 2:00 pm, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee in the Magistrate Judge’s Courtroom on the main floor.
The maximum terms of imprisonment for the offenses are as follows:
- 5 years: Making False Statements
- 20 years: Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
- 20 years: Wire Fraud
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen M. Kunz and Andrew J. Grogan.
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