NC House Candidate Faces Potential 24 Month Sentence Over 2019 Rental Car

Lakesha Womack, the Democratic candidate for North Carolina's 14th Congressional District, was served a criminal summons for felony failure to return a hired motor vehicle on Oct. 11. The incident occurred during a campaign event in Polk County, N.C., where she is challenging incumbent Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C. Womack stated in a Facebook video that police confronted her upon her arrival, citing charges related to an unpaid rental car from 2019.

The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a deputy from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office served the documents on Womack. While the office verified the service of the summons, it did not independently confirm that the exchange took place specifically at a campaign gathering. The felony charge carries a potential sentence of four to 24 months in prison or community service if found guilty.

Womack claimed she was unaware of the active case until days before the Polk County event, despite court records indicating the case was opened in January 2020. She explained that she was homeless at the time the summons was originally issued and lacked a stable address to receive the notice. In an Oct. 9 video, which has since been removed from her campaign page, she acknowledged owing fees to the rental company but stated she believed the issue had been resolved.

The candidate detailed her financial situation in 2019, noting she was in the intensive care unit and her son was in foster care. She described scraping together money for food while unable to afford the rental vehicle. Womack noted that the deputies served her with an address from 2019, questioning how they located her after seven years.

Rep. Moore’s campaign responded that the incident raises serious questions about Womack’s ability to manage personal affairs. The campaign argued that she owes voters an explanation, particularly because her court date is scheduled for one week after the election. Moore, an attorney for over 30 years, stated that everyone should be held to the same standard of justice and that a rental agreement ends when the contract expires.

Womack said in later videos that she could not discuss the active case in detail. The 14th Congressional District covers the western part of the state, extending from the Charlotte suburbs to the rural foothills. Fox News Digital reached out to Womack's campaign for further comment.