A former congressional candidate has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.
Shaun Brown, 58, a Democrat who ran against Rep. Scott Taylor in Virginia’s 2nd congressional district in 2016, was indicted Wednesday on charges of wire fraud and theft of government property, according to a new release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Brown worked for JOBS Community Outreach Development Corporation, a nonprofit registered in Virginia. In 2011 and 2012, JOBS sponsored a federally-funded program aimed at feeding food-insecure children after free and reduced lunch programs ended for summer vacation.
Brown was in charge of running the program under JOBS. In 2012, Brown and other people submitted “fraudulent claims” for reimbursement, according to the release.
Brown told staff to falsely increase the numbers of children the program fed and create false documents to get additional money, the release said.
If convicted, Brown faces up to 20 years in prison.
