Former Atlanta councilman sentenced for federal bank fraud

ATLANTA – A former Atlanta metropolis councilman and mayoral candidate was sentenced Thursday in federal courtroom on a single depend of financial institution fraud, however he will not spend any time behind bars.

U.S. District Decide Mark H. Cohen sentenced Antonio Brown to 18 months of probation, with the primary eight to be served confined to dwelling. In the course of the listening to, Cohen famous that Brown beforehand served three years on supervised pretrial probation with no points or infractions.

 Brown served two years on Atlanta’s Metropolis Council earlier than operating an unsuccessful marketing campaign for mayor in 2021. He campaigned below a cloud of federal costs filed in 2020, when a grand jury indicted him. He reached a plea deal within the case, admitting to mendacity about his revenue on a 2017 utility for a $75,000 financial institution mortgage. The utmost sentence for fraud is many years in jail and $1 million in fines. Prosecutors advisable to the decide that Brown be sentenced solely to probation and home arrest. 

 Prosecutors and Brown’s attorneys painted the previous councilman as public servant who made errors out of desperation and since he has endured trauma, in line with the  Atlanta Journal-Structure.

“I refuse to be a sufferer via all of this,” stated Brown, who paused to carry again tears as he addressed the courtroom. “There is a saying, that we’ve got to lie within the mattress we make. Standing right here at present, I do know that I’ve made mine and now I need to settle for the repercussions that come together with it.”

Brown stated he utilized for the mortgage to save lots of his enterprise amid troublesome occasions, together with his failing well being and his enterprise companion’s sudden loss of life. Brown stated he rationalized inflating his revenue and belongings as a result of he wanted to take care of his style line’s plans to nationally launch in high-end malls like Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.

In the meantime, Brown’s attorneys stated in courtroom filings that he has been serving his group and is just a few months away from opening Stir Home, a vegan restaurant “which can assist present high quality, inexpensive meals for an underserved section of the Atlanta group.”

Cohen stated he admired Brown for working laborious even after his political profession ended, the newspaper reported.

“You are getting a break right here at present,” stated Cohen, who famous the sentencing was beneath commonplace pointers. “Nobody desires you again on this place once more.”

Cohen warned Brown to keep away from committing any extra crimes.

“I am simply prepared to maneuver ahead with my life,” Brown stated after the listening to.