Former Mount Vernon CEO Convicted of Defrauding Restaurant Workers and COVID Relief Program

Derickson Lawrence, a former CEO of a Mount Vernon payroll services company and a past Congressional candidate, has been found guilty of defrauding restaurant employees and misusing funds from a COVID relief program. The conviction comes after federal authorities revealed Lawrence's fraudulent activities involving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to authorities, Lawrence diverted more than $230,000 in wages intended for a client in Virginia Beach to his personal brokerage account between 2017 and 2019. Instead of fulfilling payroll obligations, he engaged in risky trading that resulted in substantial financial losses. Additionally, Lawrence misappropriated employees' pay to purchase. . .