Brown earned a Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting from the University of the District of Columbia. Brown worked as a University of the District of Columbia police officer until 2005. Brown then worked at various accounting firms. In 1988, Brown was tried and acquitted by a jury on an attempted murder charge in Chicago. Brown was also accused of assault in Essex County, New Jersey, but a grand jury refused to indict Brown. The "Washington City Paper" reported that DC court records show "gun charges against Brown were dropped in 1991 in exchange for Brown going to a diversion program, and a jury found Brown guilty in 1995 for unlawful entry." The "City Paper" also reported that a restraining order had been issued against Brown in 2007. The press asked Brown if he had a criminal record. Brown replied that he had been arrested once for trespassing at Howard University.