Article By David Lindfield
North Carolina Democrat congressional candidate Lakesha Womack was served a felony summons this month over an alleged failure to return a rental vehicle, bringing a years-old criminal case into her campaign against Rep. Tim Moore (R-NC).
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a Polk County deputy served Womack on October 11 with a summons for felony failure to return a hired motor vehicle.
Womack said officers approached her as she arrived at a campaign event.
The sheriff’s office confirmed the service but did not confirm the campaign-event location.
Her court date is one week after the election, according to Moore’s campaign, which demanded an explanation for voters.
Moore Campaign Questions Candidate’s Judgment
Moore’s campaign said the case raises serious questions about Womack’s ability to represent North Carolina’s 14th Congressional District.
In a statement, Moore’s campaign said:
“How is she going to be an advocate for our community when she can’t manage her own personal affairs?
“As an attorney for over 30 years, I think everyone should be held to the same standard of justice, and this situation is no different.
“Free legal advice: When the rental agreement ends, so does your right to keep the car.”
The case concerns a rental vehicle from 2019.
Records show that the criminal case was opened in January 2020.
Womack said she only learned about the felony proceedings days before receiving the summons, during a conversation with the Gastonia NAACP branch.
Womack Acknowledges Owing Money
In an October 9 video discussing the charges, Womack acknowledged an outstanding debt.
“But I just want you all to know that, you know, I do owe them, people some money,” she said.
She also said she believed she previously “had resolved the issue, but it’s not resolved.”
Womack attributed the circumstances to financial hardship in 2019, when she said she was homeless and suffered a medical emergency that required intensive care.
Her son temporarily entered foster care because nobody was immediately available to care for him.
After regaining custody, she said she struggled to pay for food, housing, and transportation.
“I’m living in a hotel and, you know, scraping together, you know dollars to buy food from Dollar Tree, to like, buy dinner for him every night,” Womack said.
“And I had a rental car. Couldn’t afford the rental car, and they came and got it.
“And so I never knew that, you know, they have filed, you know, I guess that it was a pending felony.”
She said homelessness also prevented her from receiving the January 2020 summons because she lacked a stable address.
Candidate Questions Timing of Police Visit
Womack suggested the timing of the summons was suspicious, pointing to the length of time since the case began.
“I didn’t post that I was gonna be in Polk County, but they knew exactly what car I was driving,” she said.
“And as soon as I parked, they pulled up behind me and served my papers with my address from 2019.
“So, y’all hadn’t looked for me in the past seven years, but now all of a sudden, you know exactly what car I drive and where I’m going to be.”
The October 9 video appears to have been removed from her campaign Facebook page.
In subsequent videos, Womack said she could not discuss an active case.
If convicted, she could face between four and 24 months behind bars or community service for that duration.
Womack is seeking a district stretching from Charlotte’s suburbs into the western North Carolina foothills.
Voters will now weigh her candidacy with a felony case pending and a court appearance scheduled shortly after Election Day.
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