Image: Antonio Brown Speaks with Reporter, YouTube Screenshots

LGBT Atlanta City Councilman and Mayoral Candidate Previously Charged for Alleged Financial Crimes Has Car Stolen After Voting to Defund Police

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In: CAMPAIGNS, CULTURE, X/TWEET

Antonio Brown, a member of the Atlanta, GA City Council, who is currently running for mayor had his car briefly stolen in his district Wednesday afternoon. Brown was in northwest Atlanta driving his white Mercedes coupe before stopping to talk with community leader, Ben Norman when his car was stolen. Brown told police that four children, ranging from the ages of 6-12 walked up to his car while he was talking with Norman on the side of the street. The children entered the car and started it up as Norman and Brown ran after them.

“We tried to go there and maybe try to get the kid out of the car. So, I’m like, what do you do to a kid, right?” said Norman. “He had already starting figuring out…I mean they had plans, they knew what they were going to do. He hit the gas and he pulled out, peeled out, and took off.”

Norman tried to open the driver’s side door to confront the children, but the car accelerated, so Norman let go. Brown also grabbed onto the car: “As he started to speed up, and I knew that if I had not let go, I knew I probably could have killed myself because he was going so fast, I would have started to tumble. And I would have hurt him.”

Interestingly enough, Brown did not file a police report and will not press charges. The Atlanta Police Department found Brown’s car a few hours later. This event may change Brown’s stance on the defunding of police. In June, Brown called for the resignation of police chief Erika Shields after an Atlanta officer killed Rayshard Brooks in a Wendy’s parking lot. Brown was also one of seven council members that voted to withhold $73 million from the Atlanta Police Department’s budget until concrete changes in the police department were implemented under the current Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Brown’s stolen car may be the same vehicle that he allegedly committed bank fraud to purchase. In July of last year, a Grand Jury indicted Brown for wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, and making false statements on bank loan applications. Brown allegedly defrauded a multitude of financial institutions by taking out loans, making credit card purchases, and then falsely claimed that he was the victim of identity theft and in turn, would not be responsible for the credit card bill or loan repayments.

U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pal said, “For years, Antonio Brown allegedly sought to defraud several banks and credit card companies by falsely claiming that he was the victim of identity theft.” Pak said that Brown’s crimes dated all the way back to 2012! Brown would make massive purchases on credit cards before claiming the purchases weren’t his own. The councilman also took out $60,000 in car loans to finance his Mercedes and Range Rover. Like many alleged criminals, Brown was not smart enough to keep up his scheme. In his 2016 federal income tax return, Brown reported earnings of $125,000. This was a whopping $200,000 less than the number he gave to Signature Bank in a loan application in 2017. Brown would allegedly falsify loan application information with multiple banks which eventually lead to his expose.

While it is important to recognize that Brown’s indictment occurred before he was elected as a councilman, his alleged criminal past will prove to be a roadblock he must overcome on his mayoral campaign. Brown never considered stepping down as councilman but intends to fight the indictment charges. Brown authored a tweet with a jumble of words and some form of theological message stating his intentions to fight his charges.

Brown’s mayoral election will be November 2nd of this year. Brown’s fraud indictments along with the fact that 69% of Atlanta has never heard of him will make his chances very slim.

Paul Aubert
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