The Hill News

A longtime staff member of Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering as well as mail and electronic fraud.

Mikel Jones has served as a congressional aide to Hastings for more than 10 years and has simultaneously run his own law firm.

In a federal indictment, prosecutors accused Jones of taking a $150,000 investment from Minority Venture Partners (MVP), a venture capital firm that makes investments in and loans to minority-owned companies.

Jones said he was planning to use the money to expand and better his law firm, according to the indictment.

“Instead, defendant Jones transferred the MVP funds to his and his wife’s personal bank accounts and used the funds to pay his personal expenses, including for groceries, personal trips, and various sports tickets,” the indictment reads.

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