Former Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Andrew Gillum Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Wire Fraud, Making False Statements

By  //  June 22, 2022

indicted for Making False Statements, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud

A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53, both of Tallahassee, Florida.

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – A federal grand jury has returned a twenty-one count indictment against Andrew Demetric Gillum, 42, and Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 53, both of Tallahassee, Florida.

The indictment was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

The Indictment alleges that between 2016 and 2019, defendants Gillum and Lettman-Hicks conspired to commit wire fraud, by unlawfully soliciting and obtaining funds from various entities and individuals through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.

The Indictment further alleges the defendants used third parties to divert a portion of those funds to a company owned by Lettman-Hicks, who then fraudulently provided the funds, disguised as payroll payments, to Gillum for his personal use.

Both defendants are charged with 19 counts of wire fraud.

Gillum is also charged with making false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The initial appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at 2:00 pm, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee in the Magistrate Judge’s Courtroom on the main floor.

The maximum terms of imprisonment for the offenses are as follows:

5 years: Making False Statements
20 years: Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
20 years: Wire Fraud

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen M. Kunz and Andrew J. Grogan. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt.

All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Gillum ran against Ron DeSantis in the highly contested 2018 Florida Gubernatorial race that ended with DeSantis winning the race by just 42,000 votes after 8 million total votes were cast by Florida voters.