Richelle Holness, daughter of former Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness, is facing Federal charges related to his 2020 re-election campaign. As first reported by Miami New Times, Holness is facing two charges: wire fraud and fraud in connection with emergency benefits. Holness was charged on Wednesday. She will face a Federal judge in Fort Lauderdale in January.

In 2021, another Holness daughter, Damara Holness, was charged with Federal felonies. The arrest came following a series of reports in REDBROWARD detailing COVID relief fraud. In 2022, Damara Holness was sentenced to twenty months in Federal prison.

RICHELLE HOLNESS FILES

In August 2021, REDBROWARD first reported on COVID 19 Paycheck Protection Programs loans obtained by Richelle Holness.

Public records show Richelle Holness received a $19,920 loan as an independent contractor. The May 17, 2021 loan was paid by Prestamos CDFI, LLC, a division of an Arizona entity tied to the progressive political group La Raza. Records show the PPP loan paid to Richelle Holness was intended to save one job.

A published report naming Dale Holness the 2019 Person of the Year states Richelle Holness runs his real estate business. State real estate license records confirms Richelle Holness’ ties to All Broward Realty. Damara Holness’ real estate license also used the All Broward Realty office address.

In May 2022, REDBROWARD reported Richelle Holness received her COVID-19 relief funds just months after her company scored a $350,000 payday courtesy of the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida.

State corporation records show Richelle Holness formed All Consulting Broward on September 16, 2020. The business was located at an apartment in Plantation. In just one month after its creation, the money began filling All Consulting Broward’s coffers.

Federal records show All Consulting Broward received a $175,000 payment from the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida on October 27, 2020. One day later, Holness’ new company picked up another $175,000 from the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida. Both payments were made for GOTV [Get Out The Vote] consulting.

Later that month, All Consulting Broward picked up an additional $16,450 from the Florida Freedom PAC.

Curiously, the Democratic Executive Committee of Florida payments to All Consulting Broward did not use its Plantation address. Instead, campaign reports list All Consulting Broward’s address as 5523 Barnstead Circle in Lake Worth.

In September 2020, REDBROWARD exposed Richelle Holness’s ties to the mysterious Stronger Together Florida political committee. On July 20, 2020, Kayla Butler filed paperwork forming the political committee with the Division of Elections in Tallahassee. According to the documents, the political committee is located at 5523 Barnstead Circle in Lake Worth, Florida. The telephone number for the committee is (754) 444-6117.

The telephone number for Stronger Together Florida is also found in State records regarding third party groups conducting voter registrations. The number is listed for “All Consulting And Marketing, Inc.” which conducted voter registration drives at 4325 W. Sunrise Blvd in Plantation since May, 2019.

This is the same address for All Broward Realty, Inc, a real estate company owned by Dale Holness.

According to the State third party voter registration records and State corporate records, All Consulting And Marketing Inc. is owned by Richelle Holness. State corporate records indicate the corporation was dissolved in September 2019 after failing to file its required corporate report. The company was reinstated in April 2021.

REDBROWARD called Richelle Holness to ask about her involvement in voter registration drives and the Stronger Together Florida political committee.

After confirming she was Richelle Holness, she said, “You know you’re calling Richelle. I don’t know why you’re calling me.” After advising Holness that her telephone number was listed in the documents filed with the Florida Division of Elections, we asked what was the purpose of the PAC. Holness said, “You can look it up on FEC [Federal Elections Committee] or whatever.”

When asked if she knew Kayla Butler, Holness said, “Thank you for your time, goodbye” and hung up.

In a later report, REDBROWARD revealed the Barnstead Circle address is the home of Dale Holness’ ex-wife.

State records show Richelle Holness started Tax Unlimited Corp in 2016 with the former Mrs. Holness. That corporation was located at 4325 W. Sunrise Blvd in Plantation.

Following the publication of that story, Omar Smith reached out to REDBROWARD by telephone. Smith asked REDBROWARD to remove the name of the Holness’ ex-wife since she had no involvement in politics.

While that may be the case, members of Team Holness have repeatedly used her address for political payments and political committees. More on that in part two.

A week before REDBROWARD contacted Richelle Holness, Omar Smith was charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud in order to illegally obtain a $215,500 PPP loan.

A document filed by prosecutors in Richelle Holness describes the actions of “co-conspirator 3” in her fraud. Official records indicate “co-conspirator 3” is Omar Smith.

REDBROWARD exposed other payments to companies controlled by Richelle Holness.

Federal records show Kayla Butler, a Palm Beach yoga instructor, formed the “Prosperity For All People” political committee in October 2019. While paperwork for the committee claimed the committee was located at a Boca Raton Pak Mail store, a scan of the envelope lists its address as 4325 West Sunrise Blvd in Plantation.

Before it’s “administrative termination” by the Federal Elections Commission in February 2021, Prosperity For All People raised $24,000 from seventeen contributions.

Prosperity For All People’s only expenditure came nine months later. The committee reported a $15,000 payment to All Priority Consulting, Inc. located at The UPS Store on University Drive in Lauderhill. According to State Corporation records, All Priority Consulting, Inc. was formed in July 2020 by Karlisle Williamson Jr.

In addition to Butler’s Prosperity For All People, All Priority Consulting received money from other political committees involved in Broward elections. REDBROWARD exposed how funds from a committee supporting Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony were funneled to Holness operatives. Broward First was a political committee supporting Tony’s election in 2020.

In the weeks surrounding the August 2020 primary, the Parkland-based Broward First political committee sent $36,750 to two different political committees in Fort Lauderdale. On July 27, 2020 Broward First made a $16,000 contribution to the Young Professionals For Florida political committee. On August 25, 2020 Broward First made a $20,750 contribution to the South Florida Accountability Project.

On July 27, 2020, Young Professionals For Florida made a $16,000 contribution to the South Florida Accountability Project.

On that very day, Karlisle Williamson Jr. created All Priority Consulting, Inc., State corporation records show. 

Less than a month later, the South Florida Accountability Project paid $15,000 to All Priority Consulting.

On August 12, 2020 the money was refunded to the political committee. It was repaid to All Priority Consulting on August 13, 2020.