JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former Jacksonville City Councilmember Reggie Brown was back in court Tuesday pleading indigence and asking for a court appointed lawyer to handle his appeal.
Brown was convicted last year alongside fellow Councilmember Katrina Brown on dozens of federal fraud and conspiracy charges.
Both are beginning the process of appealing their convictions. Both want to remain free on bond pending their appeal.
The two, who are not related, were sentenced last month for their role in a fraud and conspiracy scheme. The two were convicted in 2019 for writing fake invoices to obtain more than $3 million in grants and loans intended to create 56 jobs at Katrina Brown's family barbecue sauce business.
No jobs were created.
Katrina and Reggie Brown were sentenced to 33 months and 18 months in prison, respectively. Both sentences are below federal sentencing guidelines and less time than prosecutors sought.
District Judge Marcia Morales Howard pronounced sentence Oct. 29, saying that although Katrina Brown knew what she was doing and knew it was wrong, she doesn't believe either of the Browns are bad people.
After the sentence, Katrina Brown said she was not done trying to promote her family business. “We're going to work hard to put Jerome Brown barbecue sauce on every shelf in Jacksonville and in the United States,” she said.
Reginald Brown didn't comment after the judge issued her sentence, but his attorney Alan Ceballos said he was relieved the judge decided this was not a case of public corruption. The judge said in her ruling while the two were on the City Council at the time of the fraud, there was no indication they used their positions for personal gain.