Charlotte City Council You Couldn't Make This Up

Just days after allegedly voting to give our CMPD Chief a $300,000 check, Charlotte City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown apparently told supporters "here hold my beer"!

According to local news Brown and her daughters have been indicted on federal charges, according to a press release sent by the US Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

The charges were made public Thursday morning, hours after Brown sent an early morning press release saying she expected to face federal charges.

Brown was elected to the city council in 2023 and represents District 3, covering most of west Charlotte.

Tiawana Brown Thursday May 22, 2025

During a press conference Thursday morning, Brown read from her press release saying in part: “I am not here to be tried in the media,” - “However, I must address the allegations against me by the United States District Court. I will have my day in court, and I trust the process.”

A press release about the indictment sent by the US Attorney described an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain federal money during the pandemic:

“According to allegations in the indictment, between April 2020 and September 2021, the defendants conspired to execute a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program and its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and obtain COVID pandemic relief funds for their purported businesses, through the submission of loan applications that contained false information or false documentation. It is alleged that the false documentation generally included fake and fraudulent tax forms, among other misrepresentations. It is further alleged that the defendants submitted false statements to obtain forgiveness of the PPP loans. In total, the defendants allegedly submitted at least 15 applications for EIDL or PPP funds and falsely obtained at least $124,165 in connection with their scheme to defraud.”

According to the US Attorney’s Office press release, Brown used money for a number of expenses not related to a business, including spending $15,000 on a birthday party for herself.

At a press conference Thursday morning, Brown confirmed the indictment is at least partially related to a company called TC Collections.

Records of PPP loans show a Tiawana Brown in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the recipient of a $20,833 loan that was approved on April 27, 2021. 

The indictment from the US Attorney’s Office specifically mentions the $20,833 PPP loan, noting that the amount was wired to a bank account on May 5, 2021.

The information on the PPP loan does not name a company and notes the industry as a Women’s Clothing Store. 

CP searched the North Carolina Secretary of State's website for either a business called TC Collections or a business listing Tiawana Brown as an officer or member and in all cases the results returned as not found.

According to WBTV: The company does not appear to have its own website outside of the Facebook and Instagram pages.

Brown was apparently convicted in 1994 on felony fraud charges and served four years in federal prison. Since her release, Brown has served on various boards and councils seeking incarceration reform.

This fact is not listed on her public resume posted on the Charlotte City Council website or mentioned on any of her social media pages.

Brown also started a non-profit called Beauty After the Bars. IRS records show the company is a registered non-profit but had its status revoked in 2020 for not filing the necessary forms. The non-profit status was reinstated by the IRS in 2023.

Cedar's Take:

In 2020 and 2021 Mrs. Cedar (who just happens to be a SBA lender) and her team processed more than 100 PPP loans for existing bank customers. Many are businesses you drive past daily in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. The SBA PPP and EIDL loans were the help that was clearly needed in the face of very uncertain economic times during the mandatory shutdowns,

However, one of her customers when told he was approved for a PPP loan called Mrs Cedar back an hour later and said: 

"I've been thinking, since the start of the COVID pandemic our business has actually increased and we are doing pretty well. Tell you what, use that money for a small business that really needs it, we will be ok without it."

Councilwoman Brown deserves her day in court where she will hopefully be found not guilty. Until then she should resign her position effective immediately.