Newly Elected Congressional Democrat Due to Face Felony Charge in Court
A North Carolina Democrat who was elected to Congress Tuesday will be going to court before she heads to Congress.
LaKesha Womack has a court appearance next week in connection with a felony car theft charge, according to the New York Post.
Womack is accused of not returning a rental car valued at about $20,000 in 2019.
Womack defeated Republican Rep. Tim Moore in North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Incoming Democrat Rep. LaKesha Womack faces a Class H felony charge in North Carolina just days after winning NC-14. Under House Rule 23, the case could strip her of committee seats and floor votes. https://t.co/vQ47pxFNgm
— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) November 6, 2026
A criminal summons was issued in January 2020, but was returned unserved in February 2020.
Womack was finally served with a summons on the charge on Oct. 11 at a campaign event.
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Rob Heroy, a former Mecklenburg County prosecutor, said he expects Womack’s charge will be dismissed.
He said charging through the rare procedural vehicle of a summons and not a warrant is likely an indication that Polk County authorities made the case a low priority.
“I can think of maybe three or four that I’ve seen charged by criminal summons in 20 years,” Heroy said.
“These charges are sort of notoriously throwaway charges that are pursued by rental car agencies,” he said.
Womack has said she was homeless around the time the vehicle was not returned. She has also said a medical emergency impacted her around the time of the allegations.
Tim Emry, a former public defender, said successfully prosecuting the case could be difficult, due to the time elapsed since the date of the alleged crime.
“I think the odds of them trying to prosecute her on a felony are extremely unlikely,” Emry said.
Even if Womack is convicted on a felony charge, she could take her seat.
House rules bar members who could face prison sentences of two years or more from leadership positions or from taking a role in committee work.
Womack’s Class H felony charge has a maximum sentence of more than two years.
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