ORLANDO, FLA. – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza earler today sentenced former Florida House of Representatives member Dwayne L. Taylor, 50, of Daytona Beach, to 13 months in federal prison for wire fraud.
The Court also ordered him to pay $62,834.55 in restitution and to serve 18 months of supervised release.
On Aug. 31, 2017, a federal jury found Taylor guilty of nine counts of wire fraud.
According to evidence presented at trial, during Taylor’s 2012 and 2014 re-election campaigns, he falsely reported thousands of dollars of expenditures to the State of Florida in order to conceal his misappropriation of over $60,000 in campaign funds through a series of unreported cash withdrawals, checks written to himself, and checks written to petty cash. Taylor then used the misappropriated funds for personal expenditures unrelated to his re-election campaigns, including, but not limited to buying a Mercedes Benz, to his elaborate wedding at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and for multiple purchases at McDonald's.
All campaign contributions and expenditures must be reported to the State of Florida, and neither a candidate nor the spouse of any candidate may use funds deposited in a campaign account to defray normal living expenses for the candidate or the candidate’s family, other than expenses actually incurred for transportation, meals, and lodging during travel in the course of the campaign.
"Corrupt public officials undermine the integrity of our government and violate the public’s trust," said Charles P. Spencer, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division, in response to Taylor's abuse of public trust. "This case is another example of the FBI's commitment to rooting out public corruption for the people of Florida."
According to evidence presented at trial, during Taylor’s 2012 and 2014 re-election campaigns, he falsely reported thousands of dollars of expenditures to the State of Florida in order to conceal his misappropriation of over $60,000 in campaign funds through a series of unreported cash withdrawals, checks written to himself, and checks written to petty cash. Taylor then used the misappropriated funds for personal expenditures unrelated to his re-election campaigns, including, but not limited to buying a Mercedes Benz to his elaborate wedding at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and multiple purchases at McDonald's.
All campaign contributions and expenditures must be reported to the State of Florida, and neither a candidate nor the spouse of any candidate may use funds deposited in a campaign account to defray normal living expenses for the candidate or the candidate’s family, other than expenses actually incurred for transportation, meals, and lodging during travel in the course of the campaign.
"Corrupt public officials undermine the integrity of our government and violate the public’s trust," said Charles P. Spencer, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division, in response to Taylor's abuse of public trust. . "This case is another example of the FBI's commitment to rooting out public corruption for the people of Florida."
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Embry J. Kidd and Roger B. Handberg.