A former Richmond City Council candidate is facing election fraud charges, NBC 12 reports.
Tavares Floyd is accused of willfully making materially false statements on campaign finance reports. He claimed to have received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, far surpassing those of his running mates. However, the Richmond Times-Dispatch spoke with multiple people listed as donors who said they never gave money to Floyd’s campaign. Some individuals listed as donors have reportedly been dead since 1984, according to NBC 12.
Floyd was indicted Monday on four counts of election fraud related to his 2024 campaign for the 6th District seat on the Richmond City Council.
Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin said the indictments followed a 10-month investigation by the Virginia State Police into Floyd’s filings.
“These charges are the result of the product of a diligent investigation by the Virginia State Police, during which they investigated dozens of individuals, obtained documentary evidence, and performed forensic accounting,” McEachin said.
Authorities said each charge is punishable as a Class 5 felony, carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.