Purchasing power parity

Former Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on charges tied to a COVID-19 relief fraud scheme. Brown pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of wire fraud conspiracy after prosecutors accused her of falsely obtaining pandemic-era business loans, including Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds, and spending the money on personal expenses such as a $15,000 birthday party for herself. She had initially faced two wire fraud charges after her May 2025 indictment.

Two of Brown's daughters were also charged in the case. Tijema Brown pleaded guilty to receiving more than $51,666 in fraud proceeds and helping submit a false PPP application on her mother's behalf. Another daughter, Antoinette Rouse, was charged with wire fraud, though it is unclear if she has reached a plea deal. Authorities say the family fraudulently obtained at least $124,165 total.

Brown, the first former felon elected to Charlotte's council, took office in 2023 and served until losing her re-election bid in late 2025.

Vice President JD Vance announced in Kansas City that the federal government has permanently barred 870,000 people from receiving federal loans after they defrauded the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other pandemic-era relief programs. Speaking alongside federal officials, Vance said a new national enforcement push will send demand letters to suspected fraudsters in Kansas and Missouri starting this week, part of a broader effort to recover stolen funds and prosecute offenders.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said a summer initiative called Operation No Doze uncovered $245 million in fraudulent losses and led to charges against more than 80 people, including a Missouri man accused of trying to steal over $55 million using fake businesses. Kansas federal prosecutors separately charged four people over roughly $182,000 in PPP-related fraud. Officials criticized the Biden administration for inaction on PPP fraud, while noting a review process exists for those who believe they were wrongly flagged. PPP loans were first issued in 2020 under President Trump, with additional rounds continuing into 2021.