A former state representative has been indicted for fraud, accused of spending campaign contributions on personal purchases, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday.
- Former state representative indicted for fraud
- Dwayne Taylor charged with 9 counts of wire fraud
- Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years
Dwayne L. Taylor, 49, of Daytona Beach, has been charged with nine counts of wire fraud. If he's convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.
According to the indictment, 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 a series of cash withdrawals, checks written to himself and checks written to petty cash — all of which are in violation of Florida law.
Taylor then reportedly used the funds for personal expenditures unrelated to his re-election campaigns.
The indictment also notifies Taylor that the U.S. is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $62,834, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
The indictment is a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws.
Taylor represented District 26, which covers Volusia County. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2008. He unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2016 — losing in the Democratic primary in August.
Prior to running for the state's House of Representatives, Taylor was a Daytona Beach City Commissioner from 2003 to 2008.
He also served on various boards and committees, including being a trustee of the Daytona Beach Police and Fire Pension Board, as well as the chairman of the East Volusia Regional Water Authority Oversight Committee in 2008.