ATLANTA--A federal grand jury indictment issued last
week charges State Representative Tyrone Brooks, Sr. of misappropriating almost
$1 million in charitable funds from Universal Humanities, a charity he founded
in 1990, and the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, according to
the U.S. Attorney's Office
"Mr. Brooks exploited two charitable
organizations for his own personal financial gain which came at the expense of
the intended beneficiaries of the charitable donations. IRS Criminal
Investigation is committed to investigating individuals who use charitable
organizations for their personal gain," said Veronica Hyman-Pillot, Special
Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation. "Mr. Brooks defrauded not only the
donors but also the American taxpayer by evading his tax obligations. Tax
compliance should and must be equally shared among all Americans."
Federal
Officials said Brooks, 67, of Atlanta, Georgia, was charged by a federal grand
jury in a 30-count indictment that includes charges of mail, wire, and tax
fraud.
The
indictment charges that, from the mid-1990s through 2012, Brooks solicited
contributions from individuals and corporate donors to combat illiteracy and
fund other charitable causes, but then used the money to pay personal expenses
for himself and his family.