ST. LOUIS — Former Missouri state Rep. Courtney Curtis was sentenced to 21 months in prison Wednesday and ordered to pay restitution for theft of funds related to his “Courtney for MO” campaign, according to the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Curtis (D-Ferguson) pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud stemming from his misallocation of campaign funds for his personal use and expenses. The 39-year-old Ferguson resident also was ordered by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark to pay restitution in the amount of $47,867.69 to the victims.
Curtis served as representative of Missouri District 73 from 2013-19, and more recently he was an assistant to St. Louis County Council member Rita Heard Days.
Federal prosecutors said that in 2016 and '17, Curtis misled donors by falsely representing that contributions to the “Curtis for MO” committee would be used for campaign and reelection purposes, when, in fact, he used a substantial portion for himself.
After convincing constituents to donate to the “Curtis for MO” campaign committee, prosecutors said Curtis knowingly used money in the committee bank account for his personal benefit, unrelated to any legitimate campaign or reelection purpose, in various ways, including: using money in the account to pay for his apartment rental and utility bills; paying for hotel, airfare and travel expenses for himself and companions; paying for restaurant and bar bills; withdrawing cash from the account, including at area casinos; and using money in the account to purchase retail items for his personal use.
Additionally, from time to time, Curtis deposited campaign donation checks into his personal bank account and used those funds to pay for personal living expenses, prosecutors said. Curtis acted to conceal his scheme by failing to file required reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission, or by filing false reports with the commission.
Total funds obtained by Curtis through his scheme to defraud his donors was approximately $47,867.69.
