WFAE staff and wire reports

The daughter of former Charlotte City Councilwoman Tiawana Brown has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to federal prosecutors.The plea agreement comes after Brown pleaded guilty in March to fraud charges in the same case.Prosecutors have accused Brown, her daughter Tijema Brown, and Tijema Brown’s sister, Antoinette Rouse, of misusing more than $100,000 in COVID-19 relief funds for personal expenses.Those expenses included a lavish birthday party for Tiawana Brown that featured a horse-drawn carriage and a rented throne, according to court filings.

A former Mooresville police officer has filed a lawsuit against the town, alleging he was retaliated against for speaking with another law enforcement officer about a search warrant operation.

A staff member of the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office has been fired and charged with a felony following a fatal car crash Saturday, March 28.

The Charlotte Hornets continued their climb up the playoff ladder Thursday night, defeating the New York Knicks 114-103.

Former Mecklenburg County sheriff candidate Ricky Robbins is joining the agency’s leadership team as chief deputy, effective April 1.

A Charlotte-based subsidiary of Ally Financial has been ordered to pay a $500,000 penalty over its robo-advisor practices. The Charlotte Observer reports that Ally Invest Advisors was investigated for failing to clearly disclose that some “robo-advisor” investment accounts kept about 30% of customers’ money in cash, a move regulators say helped offset lost fees.

North Carolina officials plan to open a new “Community Engagement Center” where residents can share feedback on the proposed I‑77 South toll lane project. The plan has drawn backlash from several historically Black neighborhoods in Charlotte, where homes and parks could be demolished to make way for the project.

In college basketball, South Carolina’s women’s team crushed Southern California on Tuesday night 101-61 in the NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks move on to face Oklahoma Saturday at 5 pm.

Duke Energy plans to build two 425-megawatt "peaker" natural gas turbines at its Buck Steam Station site near Salisbury. These turbines are not meant to run continuously, but rather during peak load hours, when energy demand is highest.State regulators are hosting a public hearing Tuesday at 7 pm for the proposed construction at the Rowan County Courthouse in Salisbury. A virtual hearing will be held Wednesday at 6:30 pm. More information at ncuc.gov.