A Thursday news release from the U.S. attorney's office in Atlanta said Brooks pleaded guilty to fraud for taking money from Universal Humanities, a charity he founded in 1990, and the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials (GABEO).
From the mid-1990s through 2012, Brooks solicited more than $800,000 for Universal Humanities from individuals and corporate donors to combat illiteracy and fund other charitable causes, which he misappropriated to his own use, the release stated.
He solicited nearly $300,000 from GABEO on the same pretexts, the release stated.
Brooks also pleaded guilty to tax fraud, saying he substantially underreported his income to the IRS for the 2011 tax year. Despite Brooks' misappropriation of Universal Humanities and GABEO funds, his tax return for the 2011 tax year falsely reported a salary of only approximately $35,000 annually.
Brooks, 68, pleaded nolo contendere guilty to five counts of mail and wire fraud and fully admitted his guilt as to one count of tax fraud. No date was given for his sentencing.
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