Ex-political candidate pleads guilty to fraud

GREENVILLE, N.C. — A former candidate for North Carolina elected office has pleaded guilty to fraud after federal authorities said he took more than $1 million from two elderly clients over three years.

Documents show a magistrate judge accepted an agreement Wednesday involving Christopher Brooks Mintz, who pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by an investment adviser. He faces a maximum five years in prison and $250,000 fine. Sentencing is Dec. 7.

Mintz ran unsuccessfully in 2008 as a Democrat for the state Senate in Wake County.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Mintz worked in Cary and represented a Massachusetts-based broker. The government said he embezzled money by shifting securities to his brokerage account and selling them.

Mintz also has agreed to pay restitution of $1.2 million.

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