Election Fraud Cases
Jason Schofield, a Republican Elections Commissioner for Rensselaer County Board of Elections in Troy, New York, was federally charged with 12 felony counts of unlawful possession and use of a means of identification of another person to fraudulently request, complete, and submit absentee ballots on behalf of voters during the 2021 Rensselaer County Primary and General elections. Schofield, and other Rensselaer election board employees working under his direction, used the New York State Board of Elections website to request absentee ballots on behalf of 8 voters using their names and dates of birth. These individuals had either no interest in voting absentee or otherwise, did not request absentee ballots or assistance to vote or obtain an absentee ballot, or did not know Schofield was using their personal information. Schofield personally obtained 4 absentee ballots knowing that the county board of elections records would falsely reflect the ballots were mailed to the voters via USPS. For the other 4 voters, Schofield completed the ballots and brought the ballots to the voters, instructed them to sign the ballot envelopes, which were submitted in the elections. Schofield pleaded guilty to all 12 felony charges He has resigned from his position as Commissioner of the Rensselaer County Board of Elections as part of his plea agreement and is ordered to pay an assessment of $1,200 at the time of sentencing. He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison and fines of $250,000 and cannot accept reappointment to the Board of Elections as long as he is on probation or supervised release.
Source: herit.ag/3RZwHxk , herit.ag/3HV4i6Y , herit.ag/3HUe74Z , herit.ag/3RSEZa9
Guillermina Fuentes was charged with one count of ballot abuse for ballot trafficking during the 2020 primary election. Fuentes was the former mayor of San Luis, is a well-known political figure in her community, and works as a political consultant. Using that influence, Fuentes persuaded voters to allow her to collect their ballots and, in some instances, fill out ballots on behalf of the voters. Fuentes admitted that she "knowingly collect[ed] ballots from another person, and those early ballots belonged to individuals for whom I am not a family member, household member, or caregiver." She pleaded guilty to one count of ballot abuse. She will be sentenced at the end of June.
Source: https://herit.ag/3blsnHe, https://herit.ag/3Ot2nIP, https://herit.ag/3OJy1RV
Alma Yadira Juarez was charged with one count of ballot abuse for ballot trafficking during the 2020 primary election. Juarez was alleged to have collected ballots filled out by Guillermina Fuentes and did not have permission to hold the ballots. She pleaded guilty to one count of ballot abuse. She will be sentenced at the end of June.
Source: https://herit.ag/3bltTZU , https://herit.ag/3OMdjRC
Tracey Kay McKee, of Scottsdale, was indicted by a grand jury on one count of illegal voting and one count of perjury. McKee, a registered Republican, cast a ballot in the name of her deceased mother in the 2020 general election. She pleaded guilty to one count of illegal voting, a felony, was sentenced to two years of probation, and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $2,144 in fines and fees.
Source: https://herit.ag/3HUHrXH, https://herit.ag/3GVHMZ4 , https://herit.ag/3sb2oYw
Marcia Johnson, 70, of Lake Havasu City pleaded guilty to the Class D felony of Voting More Than Once in the November 2018 general election. Johnson cast her own mail-in ballot as well as one sent to her deceased father whose name remained on the voter rolls after his death in 2012. She was sentenced to one year of probation, charged a special assessment of $100, and fined $1,000.
Source: https://herit.ag/3IQEE1n, https://herit.ag/3iPCODu , https://herit.ag/3JW6n21, https://herit.ag/3tVwII2
Krista Michelle Connor, 55, pleaded guilty to one felony count of Attempted Illegal Voting. Connor had signed and cast an early mail-in ballot in the name of her mother, Jeanne Sullivan, who died a month prior to the 2020 general election. She was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and fined $890.
Source: https://herit.ag/3sc3IKT, https://herit.ag/3QQGTqG, https://herit.ag/3sbfo0m
Elizabeth Gale of San Diego was charged by the state with four felony counts of fraudulently casting a vote, impersonating a voter, attempting to vote as a fictious person, and personate with a written instrument after casting an absentee ballot on behalf of her deceased mother during the 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election. After absentee ballots were sent to all registered Madera County voters, Gale filled out the ballot, forged her mother's signature, and falsely swore as a witness to her mother signing the ballot. Gale pleaded nolo contendere to one felony count of fraudulently casting a vote. She was sentenced to two years’ probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3QKH06Z, https://herit.ag/3KdLJve
Barry Morphew was charged with one count of forgery and one count of a mail-in ballot offense after submitting a completed absentee ballot on behalf of his missing wife during the 2020 general election in Chaffee County. Morphew told the FBI he submitted the fraudulent ballot because he "wanted Trump to win." He pleaded guilty to one felony charge of forgery and was sentenced to one year of probation. He was also fined and assessed court costs of $600.
Source: https://herit.ag/3dwxSnD, https://herit.ag/3A0olNf
John Mallozzi, former Chair of the Stamford Democratic City Committee, was convicted following a bench trial of 14 counts of second-degree forgery and 14 counts of making false statements in absentee balloting. Mallozzi signed and submitted absentee ballots for individuals he did not know in connection with 2015 elections for spots on the Board of Finance, Board of Education, and Board of Representatives. The conduct involved 31 fraudulent applications and 26 fraudulent ballots. He is awaiting sentencing.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rwegE4v
William Chase, of Walker County, a convicted felon, was charged with forgery, illegal acts regarding election documents, unlawful acts regarding elector's vote, and duplicate voting after filling out another person's absentee ballot in the January 2021 runoff election. The ballot was mistakenly sent to a P.O. Box at the former address of the registered voter. The voter inquired with the Walker County Elections Office when she did not receive her ballot, but her husband received his ballot. Election officials discovered Chase had submitted the woman’s ballot by forging her signature; Chase’s fingerprints were on the fraudulent ballot. Chase had also already submitted his own ballot in addition to the fraudulent absentee ballot. Chase was convicted by a jury on all counts and sentenced to 25 years, with 15 years to be served in prison and the remaining 10 years to be served on probation. He was also ordered to pay a $50 public defender application fee and "pay a probation supervision fee of $32 per month to the Probation Office and shall pay all fines, costs, restitution, and surcharges at the rate of $132 per month beginning within thirty days of release from custody."
Source: https://herit.ag/3XfVtuo , https://herit.ag/3XoSXCh
James Bartlett was charged by the state in Dearborn County with one felony count each of perjury and fraudulent subscription of another person's name after his involvement in an absentee ballot trafficking scheme during the Lawrenceburg 2019 General Election. Bartlett, a former City of Lawrenceburg employee, worked with co-conspirator Troy Kemper to fill out fraudulent absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots. The fraud was detected by the Election Board because the signatures on the original voter registration forms did not match the signatures on the absentee ballot applications and the absentee ballots, and after contacting 20 voters, learned they did not apply for an absentee ballot or permit Kemper to turn in their ballot. Bartlett pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy of fraudulent subscription and was sentenced to 910 days in prison, which was suspended if he completes one year of probation without violation. He was also ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and fined and assessed court costs of $1,285. Upon completion of his probation, his felony charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor.
Source: herit.ag/3HVQ99l , herit.ag/3HTrl1X , herit.ag/3RXuAdp
Troy Kemper was charged by the state in Dearborn County with one felony count each of perjury and fraudulent subscription of another person's name after his involvement in an absentee ballot trafficking scheme during the Lawrenceburg 2019 General Election. Kemper was charged for his role in submitting fraudulent absentee ballot applications and ballots along with his co-conspirator James Bartlett. The fraud was detected by the Election Board because the signatures on the original voter registration forms did not match the signatures on the absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots, and after contacting 20 voters, learned they did not apply for an absentee ballot or permit Kemper to turn in their ballot. In exchange for agreeing to testify truthfully against James Bartlett and the state dismissing the fraudulent subscription charge, Kemper pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of perjury and was sentenced to 365 days with 363 days suspended, and he was assessed court costs and filing fees of $210.
Source: herit.ag/3XoQ4Rj , herit.ag/3HPWEdK , herit.ag/3HZrrov
Trenae Myesha Rainey, 28, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of making a false statement on an absentee ballot application. During the 2020 general election, Rainey, an employee at an assisted living facility, completed roughly two dozen absentee voter applications, forging individual signatures of residents. She then handed over the ballots to another employee, whom she instructed to send the absentee ballot requests to the county election clerk. Rainey was sentenced to two years' probation, in which the first 45 days would be spent in the county jail.
Source: https://herit.ag/3K0oJzc, https://herit.ag/3DptHCW
Carless Clark, 59, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of forging a signature on another individual's absentee ballot. In the 2020 general election, Clark signed and returned her grandson's absentee ballot, citing her concern that he would not have enough time to vote in-person on Election Day, which the grandson did. Clark was sentenced to twelve months' probation and nineteen days of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3uFWbEt, https://herit.ag/3iRCVi4
Abdihakim A. Essa, of Minneapolis, was accused of intentionally making or signing false certificates when submitting absentee ballots in Hennepin County. Essa, a non-citizen, forged his father's signature as a witness on the ballots. He pleaded guilty to four of the thirteen counts, all state felony offenses. He was sentenced to 180 days in an adult correctional facility; all but 90 days of this sentence was stayed pending successful completion of 2 years of supervised probation. He was also assessed $78 in court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3U025ev, https://herit.ag/3TYJwXY
Muse Mohamed was charged with lying to a federal grand jury about his absentee ballot harvesting during the 2020 primary election in Minneapolis. Mohamed knowingly gave false information to a grand jury about his involvement in collecting and filling out absentee ballots on behalf of three individuals. While he claimed to have simply dropped off already filled-out ballots for those three people, the individuals did not know Mohamed and did not ask him to deliver their absentee ballots (one person had voted in-person on election day). He was convicted following a jury trial of two counts of making false statements to a grand jury. He is awaiting sentencing.
Source: https://herit.ag/3AtYuyP, https://herit.ag/3pqywpm, https://herit.ag/3bWQoFr
Bradley Haugen was charged by the state with one felony count of intentionally making a false or untrue statement on an absentee ballot application. He requested an absentee ballot during the 2020 primary election indicating that he was eligible to vote despite being a convicted felon. Haugen pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $214 in fines and fees. If Haugen successfully completes probation, the conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rsmFbw, https://herit.ag/3SZ61vB, https://herit.ag/3SYX2Ld
Jessica Dowless, of Wake County, was charged by the state for her role in connection with an absentee ballot trafficking scheme to benefit Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris during the 2018 general election. Dowless was charged with conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice, swearing falsely, and conspiracy to swear falsely. Dowless and others were affiliated with Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative in Bladen County and a consultant for Harris. Dowless and others unlawfully collected ballots from voters, falsely claimed to have witnessed the voter casting his or her vote, and then mailed the ballots in a manner intended to conceal that the voter had not mailed the ballot. Dowless pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to swear falsely in exchange for dismissal of the other charges and was sentenced to 120 days in the misdemeanor confinement program, which was suspended to 12 months of supervised probation, and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay court costs and fees of $858.50.
Source: https://herit.ag/3jYSbx7
Caitlyn Croom, of Wake County, was changed by the state for her role in connection with an absentee ballot trafficking during the 2016 general election. Croom conspired with Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative in Bladen County, to unlawfully collect ballots from voters, falsely claim to have witnessed the voter casting his or her vote, and then mail the ballots in a manner intended to conceal that the voter had not mailed the ballot. Croom was charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice, possession of absentee ballot, and conspiracy to possess absentee ballot. Croom pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to possess absentee ballot in exchange for the dismissal of the other charges. Croom was sentenced to 45 days in the misdemeanor confinement program, which was suspended for 12 months of supervised probation and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3GpwtKm
Ginger S. Eason, of Wake County, was charged by the state for her role in connection with an absentee ballot trafficking scheme to benefit Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris during the 2016 general and 2018 primary elections. Eason and others were affiliated with Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative in Bladen County and a consultant for Harris. Eason and others would unlawfully collect ballots from voters, falsely claim to have witnessed the voter casting his or her vote, and then mail the ballots in a manner to conceal that the voter had not mailed the ballot. Eason pleaded guilty to three felony charges: conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice, possession of absentee ballot, and conspiracy to commit possession of absentee ballot. Eason was sentenced to 45 days in a misdemeanor confinement program which was suspended to a sentence of 12 months of probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, and assessed fees and costs of $696.
Source: https://herit.ag/3guUl6q
Tonia M. Gordon, of Wake County, was changed by the state for her role in connection with an absentee ballot trafficking scheme to benefit Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris during the 2016 general and 2018 primary elections. Gordon and others were affiliated with Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative in Bladen County and a consultant for Harris. Eason and others would unlawfully collect ballots from voters, falsely claim to have witnessed the voter casting his or her vote, and then mail the ballots in a manner to conceal that the voter had not mailed the ballot. Gordon pleaded guilty to three felony charges: conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice, possession of absentee ballot, and conspiracy to commit possession of absentee ballot. Gordon was sentenced to 120 days in a misdemeanor confinement program which was suspended to a sentence of 12 months of probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, and assessed fees and costs of $956.
Source: https://herit.ag/3ViDNgB
Rebecca D. Thompson, of Wake County, was charged by the state for her role in connection with an absentee ballot trafficking scheme to benefit Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris during the 2016 general and 2018 primary elections. Gordon and others were affiliated with Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative in Bladen County and a consultant for Harris. Thompson and others would unlawfully collect ballots from voters, falsely claim to have witnessed the voter casting his or her vote, and then mail the ballots in a manner to conceal that the voter had not mailed the ballot. Gordon pleaded guilty to three felony charges: conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice, possession of absentee ballot, and conspiracy to commit possession of absentee ballot. Thompson was sentenced to 45 days in a misdemeanor confinement program which was suspended to a sentence of 12 months of probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, and assessed fees and costs of $643.50.
Source: https://herit.ag/3TYJwHs
Kelly Hendrix, of Wake County, was charged by the state for her role in connection with an absentee ballot trafficking scheme to benefit Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris during the 2016 general and 2018 primary elections. Hendrix and others were affiliated with Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative in Bladen County and a consultant for Harris. Hendrix and others would unlawfully collect ballots from voters, falsely claim to have witnessed the voter casting his or her vote, and then mail the ballots in a manner to conceal that the voter had not mailed the ballot. Hendrix pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of absentee ballot. Hendrix was sentenced to 45 days in a misdemeanor confinement program which was suspended to a sentence of 12 months of probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, and assessed fees and costs of $793.50.
Source: https://herit.ag/3TZLIhX, https://herit.ag/3VnCsW1
James Singletary, of Wake County, was charged by the state for his role in connection with an absentee ballot trafficking scheme to benefit Republican congressional candidate Mark Harris during the 2018 general election. Singletary was charged with conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice, possession of absentee ballot, and conspiracy to commit possession of absentee ballot. Singletary and others were affiliated with Leslie McCrae Dowless, a political operative in Bladen County and a consultant for Harris. Singletary and others unlawfully collected ballots from voters, falsely claimed to have witnessed the voter casting his or her vote, and mailed the ballots in a manner intended to conceal that the voter had not mailed the ballot. Singletary pleaded guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to possess an absentee ballot and was sentenced to 120 days in the misdemeanor confinement program, which was suspended to 12 months of supervised probation, and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay $393.50 in court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3iu2mta
Edward Amirault, 79, pleaded guilty to the Class B felony of "Voting in More than One State Prohibited." Amirault had voted in the 2018 general election in New Hampshire by absentee ballot and then cast another ballot in the same election in-person in Massachusetts. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, all of which were suspended on the condition of two years of good behavior. Amirault was also ordered to pay a fine of $4,000 and a penalty assessment of $960 and was ordered to serve 100 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3scKvZw , https://herit.ag/3s7Pnz9
Sigmund Boganski was charged by the state after voting twice in the 2016 General Election. He voted by absentee ballot in Arizona and again in-person in New Hampshire. Boganski pleaded guilty to one count of voting in more than one state. He was sentenced to 90 days in the House of Corrections, which was suspended for two years on the condition of good behavior. He was also fined $1,000 and assessed a $240 penalty. Boganski’s right to vote in New Hampshire was terminated.
Source: https://herit.ag/3CzgokL
Kimberly McPherson, a city of Troy council member and Republican, pleaded guilty to one count of identity theft for casting absentee ballots in the names of two other people in the 2021 city council election. In seeking re-election, McPherson cast at least one absentee ballot on behalf of another during the primary election, and during the general election cast absentee ballots for at least two people other than herself. As part of her plea agreement, McPherson has agreed to resign her position on the city council. She faces up to 5 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 when she is sentenced.
Source: https://herit.ag/3OObF1U , https://herit.ag/3QRV7HP
Melissa Fisher was charged with a misdemeanor count of violating absentee and mail-in ballot provisions after signing and submitting an absentee ballot on behalf of her deceased mother during the 2020 general election in Quakertown. She pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor charge and two unrelated theft charges and was sentenced to 3 to 23 months in prison and 3 years’ probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3A4ZlUV
Marlena Jackson, wife of Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown, pleaded guilty to charges of misdemeanor election fraud. During the 2018 Democratic primary Longview City council election, Jackson's husband Shannon Brown organized a scheme to harvest absentee ballots with help from two paid campaign workers and Jackson to increase the ballots in Brown's favor. Jackson working with Brown and his crew, solicited over a hundred mail-in ballots by assisting with absentee ballot applications, misleading voters about the requirements for voting by mail, and in some cases filling out the applications and falsely claiming that such voters were disabled, often without their knowledge or consent. Marlena was originally charged with close to 100 different felony charges including providing false information on a voting application, election fraud, and tampering with a government record with the intent to defraud or harm. Jackson was sentenced to a year's probation and a $2,445 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/33qzzOJ, https://herit.ag/3oSoH3O , https://herit.ag/3rRxrc7, https://herit.ag/3GVHG3E
Charlie Burns Jr., campaign worker for Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of knowingly possessing an absentee ballot with intent to defraud for his involvement in a ballot harvesting scheme. During the 2018 Democratic primary Longview City council election, Shannon Brown participated in a scheme to harvest absentee ballots with help from his wife Marlena Jackson, Burns, and DeWayne Ward, another paid campaign worker, to increase the vote total for Brown. Burns working with Brown, Jackson, and another campaign worker, solicited over a hundred mail-in ballots by assisting with absentee ballot applications, providing incorrect information to voters about the requirements for voting by mail, and in some cases filing out the ballots and falsely claiming that such voters were disabled, often without their knowledge or consent. Burns was sentenced to one year in jail, which was suspended to a year's probation, and fined $445.
Source: https://herit.ag/3gSxiyS , https://herit.ag/3oSxz9F, https://herit.ag/3rUront, https://herit.ag/3GNZihK
DeWayne Ward, campaign worker for Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of knowingly possessing an absentee ballot with intent to defraud for his involvement in a ballot harvesting scheme during the 2018 Longview City Council Democratic primary election. During that election, Shannon Brown organized a scheme to harvest absentee ballots with help from his wife, Marlena Jackson, Ward, and Charlie Burns Jr. another paid campaign worker, to increase the vote tally in Brown's favor. Ward, working with Brown, Jackson, and another campaign worker, solicited over a hundred mail-in ballots by assisting with absentee ballot applications, misleading voters about the requirements for voting by mail, and in some cases filling out the applications and falsely claiming that such voters were disabled, often without their knowledge or consent. Ward was sentenced to one year in jail, which was suspended to a year's probation, and fined $445.
Source: https://herit.ag/3HXp7gz, https://herit.ag/3LBeQZV , https://herit.ag/3sMrGf3, https://herit.ag/3uSSbSK
Monica Mendez was charged with 26 felonies after her involvement in an absentee ballot trafficking scheme to alter the results of the May 2018 Bloomington water board election. Mendez served as a volunteer deputy registrar and was responsible for registering new voters in her official role. During this election, 275 people in Bloomington registered to vote all using the same post office box as a mailing address. However, the address was associated with a subsidized housing company who was attempting the sway the outcome of the election. According to the press release by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton "Mendez ran a vote-harvesting operation on behalf of a subsidized housing corporation in order to influence the outcome of a utility board election." Mendez Mendez pleaded guilty to 26 felony counts including three counts of illegal voting, eight counts of election fraud, seven counts of unlawful assistance to a voter to submit a ballot by mail, and eight counts of unlawful possession of a mail ballot. She was sentenced to five years of deferred adjudication probation, 80 hours of community service, and fined $1,415.
Source: https://herit.ag/3OMoYQ8 , https://herit.ag/3bxUROc, https://herit.ag/3OHfLsv
Christine Daikawa was charged with absentee ballot fraud (a misdemeanor) and attempting to impersonate an elector (a felony) after submitting her dead partner's ballot during the 2020 general election. Daikawa pleaded no contest, and was adjudicated guilty, to both charges and was sentenced to 30 days for the misdemeanor charge and 60 days for the felony which will be served consecutively and ordered to pay $961 in court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3RCOetk, https://herit.ag/3Cy05EF
Janet Reed, an Evansville Democratic Party activist, was charged by the state with one count of unauthorized absentee ballot, a felony offense. Reed sent illegally pre-marked absentee ballots applications to voters ahead of the 2020 primary election. Reed filled out the applications by pre-selecting the Democrat Party where voters were supposed to choose a Republican or Democratic primary ballot. Reed included instructions that the section in question "needs no input." Reed kept sending the pre-marked applications even after receiving warnings from election officials and the Democrat Party. Reed pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and ordered to pay restitution of $2,740 and court costs of $925. She was also barred from working on any elections during her probation. The court indicated that it would consider reducing the charge to a misdemeanor upon successful completion of probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3VkpWGF, https://herit.ag/3TZLNlu, https://herit.ag/3Vmv4dc
Paul Parana of Canton was charged with impersonating a voter after he forged his daughter's signature on an absentee ballot in 2020 General Election. He pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor election law violation, was sentenced to 90 days’ probation, and ordered to pay $1,100 in fines and court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3eXnao7, https://herit.ag/3rGpyF0, https://herit.ag/378DNIU
Donald Hartle, a Republican, was charged with two state felonies for voting twice in the 2020 general election, once under his own name and a second time via absentee ballot using his deceased wife's name. Hartle pleaded guilty to one count of “voting more than once at same election,” a Class D felony. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Hartle was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $2,000, and after he successfully completed his probation sentence, he was allowed to plead down to a lower charge of “conspiracy to commit voting more than once at same election,” a gross misdemeanor.
Source: bit.ly/3sDDaDq , bit.ly/32up0tA , bit.ly/3116CaS, https://herit.ag/3i62yya
Edward Snodgrass, a registered Republican and a Porter Township Trustee, was charged with one felony count of illegal voting after submitting an absentee ballot on behalf of his deceased father in the 2020 General Election. As part of his plea deal, Snodgrass pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of falsification, was sentenced to three days in jail, and fined $500.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BsROzS , https://herit.ag/3uVbsmM, https://herit.ag/3uRpXYz
Bruce Bartman was charged with falsely registering for an absentee ballot on behalf of his deceased mother and his deceased mother-in-law in the 2020 general election. A registered Republican, he used his mother’s driver license number and the last four digits of his mother-in-law’s social security number to register them as Republicans in effort to cast fraudulent ballots for Donald Trump. Bartman cast an absentee ballot in his mother’s name, but did not obtain an absentee ballot for his mother-in-law. Bartman pleaded guilty to two felony counts of perjury and one misdemeanor count of illegal voting. He was sentenced to five years’ probation, is barred from voting in any election for 4 years, and is no longer eligible to serve on a jury.
Source: bit.ly/3yojLqr, bit.ly/3fuAtM3 , bit.ly/340i2cN
Registered Republican Robert Richard Lynn was charged with a third-class misdemeanor for using his deceased mother’s credentials to cast an absentee ballot for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. He was sentenced to six months probation and 40 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3Cmw4VO, https://herit.ag/3bauXN9
Shannon Brown, Commissioner of Gregg County, Texas pleaded guilty to charges of misdemeanor election fraud and record tampering. During the 2018 Democratic primary Longview City Council election, Brown organized a scheme to harvest absentee ballots with help from two paid campaign workers and his wife to increase the votes in his favor. Brown, along with his crew, solicited over a hundred mail-in ballots by assisting with absentee ballot applications, misleading voters about the requirements for voting by mail, and in some cases filling out the applications and falsely claiming that such voters were disabled, often without their knowledge or consent. Brown was originally charged with over 20 felony charges related to providing false information on voting applications. As part of his plea deal, Brown was sentenced to one year in jail which was suspended to a year's probation and fined $2,445. Brown was allowed to stay in office.
Source: https://herit.ag/3uVtk0S, https://herit.ag/3JBDN5J, https://herit.ag/3Bo6xf6 , https://herit.ag/3gMJvFv
Randy Allen Jumper voted twice in the 2016 general election. He voted by absentee ballot in Arizona and again by absentee ballot in Nevada. He pleaded guilty to attempted illegal voting, a class 6 felony. He was sentenced to two years probation, fined $5,000, and is barred from voting in Arizona.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rBsT89, https://herit.ag/3yajZ43
Larry Wiggins, 62, a registered Democrat from Sarasota, was charged by the state with one count of vote by mail fraud after he requested a mail-in ballot on behalf of his deceased wife during the 2020 general election. Election staff discovered the fraud during a routine check of the voter rolls, which revealed that his wife had died two years earlier. Wiggins forged his wife's signature on the ballot request form, and admitted that he intended to mail it back once he received it, but he was stopped by law enforcement. He pleaded nolo contendere to one count of vote-by-mail fraud, and was sentenced to 24 months’ probation, 100 hours of community service, and assessed $738 in court costs, fees, and fines.
Source: https://herit.ag/3Etplfa, https://herit.ag/3Vhy62G
William Rojas, of Hoboken, acted illegally by attempting to bribe voters with $50 to send in mail-in ballots to support a candidate for a seat on the Hoboken City Council during the 2015 Hoboken municipal election. Rojas was charged with and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring with others to use the mail to promote a voter bribery scheme. He was sentenced to one year of probation.
Source: bit.ly/3dz9yPG , bit.ly/2QfW2Y8 , bit.ly/2PaCzI4 , bit.ly/32sVwIW
Dyon Hererra, of Espanola, conspired with Laura Seeds to falsify absentee ballots in support of Seeds' husband's candidacy for mayor in 2016. Hererra forged the signatures of his grandparents on absentee ballots. The candidate that he casted the ballots in favor of won the race by two votes. Herrera was charged with conspiracy to violate the municipal election code of Espanola, a fourth degree felony, and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 18 months probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3l1iAJf , https://herit.ag/3i9ub7o, Case no. D-117-CR-201800047
Laura Seeds, of Espanola, conspired with Dyon Herrera to falsify several absentee ballots in favor of Seeds' husband, a city councilman who was running for mayor in 2016. Seeds was charged with two counts of making false statements relative to the municipal election code, one count of conspiracy to violate the municipal election code, and ten counts of possession of another person's absentee ballot. Seeds was found guilty of two counts of making false statements relative to the municipal election code and two counts of possession of another person's absentee ballot, which are all fourth degree felonies. She was sentenced to six months of house arrest, followed by five years of supervised probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f4YnhM, Case no. D-117-CR-201800048,
Elbert Melton, the former mayor of Gordon, illegally notarized two ballots, without witnesses present, during the 2016 election in which he was running for mayor. Melton won that race by only 16 votes. Melton was convicted on two counts of absentee ballot fraud, was removed from office, and was sentenced to serve one year in prison followed by two years of probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3y8oU5f, https://herit.ag/3xcAQBQ, https://herit.ag/3zImZEW
Dio Braxton, of Hoboken, participated in a scheme to pay certain Hoboken voters $50 each if those voters applied for and cast mail-in ballots for candidate (and longtime Hoboken political player) Frank “Pupie” Raia for a seat on the Hoboken City Council and for a rent-control referendum during the 2013 Hoboken municipal election. Dio was charged with and pleaded guilty to one count of use of the mails to promote a voter bribery scheme. He is awaiting sentencing.
Source: bit.ly/3xb6Ass , bit.ly/3gmdhSp , bit.ly/3arOk43 , bit.ly/2QHLP6U
Longtime Hoboken politico Frank “Pupie” Raia was convicted following a jury trial of “conspiracy to violate the federal Travel Act for causing the mails to be used in aid of voter bribery” in connection to a 2013 municipal election. Raia was at the center of a vote-by-mail bribery scheme in which he directed campaign workers to pay residents $50 for voting for his council slate (including himself) and for a rent-control referendum that he favored. Raia’s initial sentence was vacated by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and he is awaiting resentencing.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i7aYmL , https://herit.ag/3iRgh8R
Matthew Calicchio bribed voters with $50 to cast mail-in ballots in a 2013 municipal election in Hoboken to support a rent-control referendum and city council candidate (and longtime Hoboken political player) Frank “Pupie” Raia. Calicchio did the same thing in a 2015 municipal election to support another candidate for City Council. Calicchio pleaded guilty to using the mails to promote voter bribery. He was sentenced to two years of probation and fined $100.
Source: bit.ly/3gr0Nsv , bit.ly/3amKFo3 , bit.ly/3sqVPhW
Marjory Gale, of Hood River, voted twice in the 2016 election, once for herself and once for her daughter. Both votes were cast by absentee ballot. Gale pleaded guilty to a violation, and was ordered to pay a $750 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/2ULPnrf
Harry Maxwell, of Delaware County, was charged with absentee ballot fraud. In his confession, Maxwell said that he would pick up "girls" and get them to sign absentee ballots in the names of deceased indivduals. He pleaded guilty to one count of forgery, one count of false use of an absentee ballot, and two counts of criminal conspiracy, and was sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to pay $500 in fines.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zHOOgU, bit.ly/3hh6BCf
Charles Nathan Jackson, of Tarrant County, forged the name of a stranger, Mardene Hickerson, on an application for an early voting ballot. Jackson pleaded guilty to providing false information on a voting application, a felony, as part of a plea deal to avoid an enhancement for previous drug and theft offenses. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, and was given credit for time already served.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f1kAxn
Troy Stevenson was convicted of making a false statement on an absentee ballot as well as second degree forgery, both class D felonies. He committed this crime on October 28, 2017, in connection with the November 2017 mayoral election in Stafford. Stevenson was given a three year suspended sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/3tVrnid, https://herit.ag/39jnZEs
Betty Chappell was convicted of making a false statement on an absentee ballot as well as second degree forgery, both class D felonies. She committed this crime on October 28, 2017, in connection with the November 2017 mayoral election in Stafford. Chappell received a five year suspended sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/3lHsMFx, https://herit.ag/39oGPtM
Bret Warren, of Casselberry, entered a plea of nolo-contendere to two third-degree felony voter fraud charges. Warren's fraud was uncovered when five residents of Altamonte Springs noted they had not received their absentee ballots for the 2016 presidential election. The ballots had nonetheless been returned, and were filled out and signed. Investigators matched fingerprints on the envelope to Warren through a federal database, and DNA obtained from the envelope also matched Warren. Warren was charged with two counts of felony false swearing in connection with voting or elections, and after pleading nolo-contendere was sentenced to 154 days' imprisonment with credit for time served, and ordered to pay $468 in fees and court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BieQaT, https://herit.ag/3yakStd , (Case No. 2018CF001075A)
Lizaida Camis, of Hoboken, acted illegally by attempting to bribe voters with $50 to send in mail-in ballots to support candidate (and longtime Hoboken political player) Frank “Pupie” Raia for a seat on the Hoboken City Council and a rent-control referendum during the 2013 Hoboken municipal election. Camis was charged with and pleaded guilty to one count of use of the mails to promote a voter bribery scheme. She was sentenced to six months’ probation and fined $100.
Source: bit.ly/3gusDEn , bit.ly/3v4OdDr
Ronald Henry, a 2015 candidate for trustee in Luther, Oklahoma, brought several absentee ballots to be notarized by Mayor Cecilia Taft. It is illegal for a ballot to be notarized without the person signing being present. Ronald Henry entered an Alford plea to the charges and received a five-year deferred sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/2UV40rZ, https://herit.ag/2WqERpI
Miguel Hernandez visited an elderly woman shortly before the 2017 Dallas City Council election, collected her blank absentee ballot, filled it out, and forged her signature before mailing it back. Hernandez was the first person arrested as part of a larger voter fraud investigation in the Dallas area, stemming from claims by elderly voters that someone was forging their signatures and the return of nearly 700 mail-in ballots all signed by the same witness using a fake name. Hernandez faced a felony illegal voting charge, but pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor offense of "method of returning marked ballot." He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and given credit for time served.
Source: https://herit.ag/370axUW, https://herit.ag/3f1ZChS
Cynthia Gonzalez, of Nueces County, marked and mailed ballots that were not her own in the 2016 Nueces County Democratic Primary. Gonzalez pleaded guilty to three charges of election code violations and was sentenced to serve five days in the San Patricio County Jail.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rCeZ5C, https://herit.ag/3y4jpVk, https://herit.ag/3zKbEUP
Richard Douglas Dohmen, of James City County, committed voter fraud when he attempted to cast ballots for both himself and his dead wife in a 2018 state election. Dohmen was charged with forging public records and making false statements on required forms, and pleaded guilty to making false statements on required forms. He was sentenced to 1 year in the penitentiary, 3 years of unsupervised probation, and was ordered to pay a $458 fine.
Source: Case Number: CR19028447-00, https://herit.ag/3x2tbWI
Toni Lee Newbill pleaded guilty to voting twice using her deceased father's name to do so, once in the 2013 general election and again in the Republican primary of 2016. Newbill was sentenced to 18 months of unsupervised probation and 30 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine and additional court fees.
Source: dpo.st/2owWxOA, bit.ly/2q8FKBj, bit.ly/2pjbYHd
Sarilu Sosa-Sanchez voted twice in the 2013 election, once in her own name and once in the name of her late mother. Sosa-Sanchez pleaded guilty to a felony forgery charge after admitting she forged her late mother's signature on a ballot. Sh also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor double voting charge. Sosa-Sanchez was sentenced to 60 hours of community service, was ordered to pay restitution and court fees, and will help the clerk and recorder's office educate other residents about the consequences of voter fraud.
Source: https://herit.ag/3nR7Tuo, https://herit.ag/2ZjLpIh, https://herit.ag/3kpHOAr
Steven Curtis, the former head of the Colorado Republican Party, was charged with a misdemeanor election mail-in ballot offense, as well as one count of forgery of a public record. It was revealed through handwriting analysis that Curtis forged his ex-wife's name on her ballot and mailed it in. He was found guilty and sentenced to four years probation and 300 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/2UV4aj5, https://herit.ag/3ArntjL
Former Eatonville Mayor Anthony Grant was convicted of a felony voting fraud charge, a felony election violation, and misdemeanor absentee voting violations. During the 2015 election while he was running for election, he coerced absentee voters to cast ballots for him. In at least one case, Grant personally solicited an absentee vote from a non-resident of Eatonville. Grant, who had previously served as mayor, lost the in-person vote, but still won the election with more than twice the number of absentee ballots than were cast for incumbent Bruce Mount. Following his indictment, Grant was suspended by Florida Governor Rick Scott. He was sentenced to 400 hours of community service and four years' probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3nub8px, https://herit.ag/3mfSQJt
Mia Antoinette Nowells, a campaign worker for former Eatonville Mayor Anthony Grant, was found guilty of coercing Layota Jackson to vote for Grant in the 2015 election. Nowells was charged with intimidating voters and tampering with absentee ballots. She was sentenced to two years' probation and 200 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f2Sx0u, https://herit.ag/3rDnnSu, bit.ly/2sAF7PP
Terri Lynn Rote attempted to vote twice in the 2016 presidential election. Rote cited fears that the election was rigged to justify her attempt to cast two absentee votes for Donald Trump. Rote was arrested attempting to cast the second ballot. She pleaded guilty to a felony charge of election misconduct, and was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $750 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/377vCgd, https://herit.ag/2VcrLM3, https://herit.ag/2Vdv3ij
Steveland Kidd pleaded guilty to two counts of violating absentee ballots during a municipal election in April 2013. Kidd took possession of, and delivered, an absentee ballot to election authorities despite not being legally allowed to do so. The crime is a Class Three felony. Kidd was sentenced to 12 days in the St. Clair County Jail and is now barred from engaging in campaign-related activities or electioneering.
Source: https://herit.ag/3750cqQ, https://herit.ag/3rDnvBs
Brian McDouglar, a resident of Cahokia, Illinois, was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of falsifying or tampering with an absentee ballot, a class 3 felony. McDouglar illegally took an absentee ballot from a voter he was not related to and then placed that ballot in the mail.
Source: https://herit.ag/3761gL8, https://herit.ag/3eYmJtt, https://herit.ag/3BPBDft
Max Judson was convicted of election fraud and witness tampering during the 2014 primary election. While a candidate for city council during the election, he admitted that he solicited someone he knew not to be a resident of the district to cast an absentee ballot. He also admitted that when he realized he was being investigated, he attempted to intervene and deter the voter from communicating with law enforcement. He was sentenced to one year and one day in prison in addition to one year of supervised release and a $500 fine. He was also forced to resign from his seat on the Sullivan County Council.
Source: https://herit.ag/374MQLa, https://herit.ag/3zJOWfw, https://herit.ag/3rANWaM, bit.ly/2pL2u9h
Michelle Marie Landsteiner forged the signature and voted for a family member during the 2016 Minnesota primary. However, the family member had already registered to vote elsewhere, and her ballot was flagged. Upon review, the voter's signature and the witness's signature looked extremely similar. Landsteiner pled guilty to unlawful voting and was sentenced to one year of probation and nearly $600 in fees. A 90-day jail sentence will be waived after completing her probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3x7RTFd
Melvin Howell, of Asbury Park, pleaded guilty to a fourth degree felony charge after she filled out applications for nonexistent voters in a local school board election. According to the Union County Clerk, at least 54 ballots were tainted with irregularities. Howell was sentenced to one year of probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3yf2YWw, https://herit.ag/3zH52Xv
Tyron Davis, a former constable in Ellis County, Texas, was convicted of six counts of voter fraud for assisting nursing home residents with their mail-in ballots and voter registration applications without identifying his assistance on the ballot. He was also convicted of false identification as a peace officer for having pasted an image of his face onto the body of a peace officer for use on a flier advertising his assistance at the nursing home during his campaign, all before he became an officer. Davis resigned his officer's license to avoid jail time.
Source: https://herit.ag/2Wi1iNC, https://herit.ag/3yb4msS
Daniel W. Reynolds pleaded guilty to three counts of absentee ballot fraud and was sentenced to two years' probation. Reynolds, the chief campaign volunteer for Commissioner Amos Newsome, participated in falsifying absentee ballots in the Dothan District 2 election between Newsome and his rival Lamesa Danzey in the summer of 2013.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BLKkYj
Audrey Cook, a Madison County election judge, sent in a ballot marked for Donald Trump in the 2016 election on behalf of her recently deceased husband. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted violation of the election code in exchange for dropping a felony perjury charge.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i4wdW6, https://herit.ag/3l1p4aZ, https://herit.ag/3x95kEW
Lowell "Ross" Colen, a 10-year veteran of the Rising Sun Police Department, was forced to resign after pleading guilty to four counts of felony voter fraud. Colen was accused of illegally trying to help his father win election to the Rising Sun City Council by completing absentee voter applications and filling out ballots for people who were not eligible to vote in the county, and in some cases forging signatures. Colen evidently conducted some of this illegal activity while in uniform and on duty. He pleaded guilty to four counts of felony vote fraud and was sentenced to concurrently serve one year in prison and 185 days' probation.
Source: bit.ly/2mlTkMl, bit.ly/2l07BNH, bit.ly/2lpehs4
Ana Cuevas, a campaign aide for Hector Ramirez, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after she and other staff went door to door tricking potential voters into signing absentee ballot applications. They then took the applications to the Board of Elections, retrieved the absentee ballots, and voted for Ramirez without the voters' knowledge. Cuevas was sentenced to conditional discharge.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f1ksxT
Hector Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument. Ramirez, a 2014 State Assembly Candidate for the 86th District Assemby District, deceived voters into giving their absentee ballots to his campaign on the false premise that the campaign would then submit the ballots. Instead, Ramirez's campaign inserted his name on at least thirty-five of the absentee ballots. Ramirez initially won the 2014 race, but a recount determined he had lost by two votes. In lieu of jail time, Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett imposed a three-year ban on Ramirez running for office. Ramirez could face jail time if he runs for office in violation of his three-year ban. Prior to his guilty plea, Ramirez unsuccessfully ran for the same state assembly seat on numerous occasions, most recently in the 2016 election.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rDWtd7, https://herit.ag/2TCrzFs, https://herit.ag/3eYoWVW
Prosecutors charged Graciela Sanchez with four misdemeanor counts of violating election law in an effort to assist Guadalupe Rivera win re-election to the post of Weslaco city commissioner in 2013. Rivera and Sanchez were found to have illegally "assisted" absentee ballot voters. The results of the election were disputed, and a judge determined that 30 ballots had been illegally cast in an election decided by only 16 votes. Sanchez pleaded guilty and received two years' probation.
Source: bit.ly/2f8AtkT, bit.ly/2f8AtkT
Guadalupe Rivera, a former Weslaco city commissioner, pleaded guilty to one count of providing illegal "assistance" to a voter by filling out an absentee ballot "in a way other than the way the voter directed or without direction from the voter." The fraud took place during Rivera's 2013 re-election bid, which he won by a scant 16 votes. His challenger sued alleging fraud, and a judge determined that 30 ballots had been illegally cast, enough to alter the outcome of the election. A new election was subsequently held, and Rivera lost. Rivera originally faced 16 election-related charges, 15 of which were dropped as part of his plea deal. He was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BNfiPJ
Olivia Lee Reynolds was convicted of 24 counts of voter fraud. While working on the 2013 campaign for her boyfriend, Dothan City Commissioner Amos Newsome, Reynolds filled out voters' ballots for them and told others for whom to vote. Her fraud had definite consequences: Commissioner Newsome won reelection by a mere 14 votes, losing the in-person vote by a wide margin but winning an incredible 96 percent of the absentee vote. Newsome himself faced pressure to resign as a consequence. Reynolds was sentenced to serve six months in a community corrections facility. She is appealing the conviction.
Source: https://herit.ag/3iQlYUM
Janice Lee Hart pleaded guilty to eight misdemeanor counts of attempted absentee ballot fraud in connection with misconduct while working on the 2013 campaign for District 2 City Commissioner Amos Newsome. Prosecutors charged that Hart was not present when absentee ballots were signed even though she was listed as a witness on the ballots. In the election, Newsome defeated his challenger by only 14 votes and received 119 out of the 124 absentee ballots cast. A judge sentenced Hart to 12 months in the county jail for each count, which he suspended to two years of probation for each count.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zHOLle
A Houston County jury found Lesa Coleman guilty of seven felony counts of absentee ballot fraud related to the 2013 election for a city commission seat. Coleman received a three year split sentence. She will serve 180 days in jail followed by three years of probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/372sHFk, https://herit.ag/3rGpuVM
Brian McDouglar was convicted of falsifying or tampering with an absentee ballot. He was sentenced to two years in prison for the Class C felony.
Source: https://herit.ag/3y83Goj, https://herit.ag/3rDnspg
Eugene Gallagher pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges in connection with the November 2013 election, in which he was a candidate for councilman in the Taylor Borough. He unlawfully persuaded Taylor residents and non-residents to register for absentee ballots in the election using a Taylor address. Gallagher was the top vote-getter in the election and won his first term as councilman. With his guilty plea, Gallagher can no longer hold public office. A judge sentenced him to a maximum of 10 months in jail and two months of house arrest for both his election fraud conviction and a DUI conviction. He was also sentenced to more than five years of court supervision and 200 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3l0pZbE
Rafael Angel Elizondo, of Cameron County, along with Jose Garza, engaged in illegal vote harvesting during the 2012 Democratic Primary run-off. Elizondo improperly posessed between 10 and 20 ballots without the consent of the voters. Elizondo faced a third degree felony method of returning marked ballot charge. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to serve three days in county jail.
Source: https://herit.ag/378DMVm, https://herit.ag/3f4FtYr
Jose Angel Garcia, of Cameron County, along with Rafael Angel Elizondo, engaged in illegal vote harvesting during the 2012 Democratic Primary runoff. Garza improperly possessed as many as 10 ballots without the consent of the voters. Garza faced five felony counts of method of returning marked ballot. He pleaded guilty to one of those charges and was sentenced to serve two days in county jail.
Source: https://herit.ag/3kX7GUW, https://herit.ag/3x9CsfN
Following an investigation by the Texas Attorney General's office, Margarita Rangel Ozuna was charged with engaging in election fraud, along with five others during the 2012 Democratic Primary runoff election in Cameron County. Ozuna pleaded guilty to charges of fraudulent use of absentee ballots and was sentenced to serve 15 days in Cameron County jail and required to pay a $250 fine. This was the second time that Ozuna was convicted of voter fraud. In 2013, she was convicted of felony voter fraud stemming from the 2010 election.
Source: bit.ly/2E3q99l, bit.ly/2pL2B4H
Augustus Stacker, Jr., of Belleville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of a violation of absentee ballots. He assisted in manipulating up to 27 fraudulent absentee ballots in a municipal election. Stacker was sentenced to 18 months of conditional discharge and required to pay court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zLTEcZ, Case #13CF0066301
Ruth Robinson, the former mayor of Martin, Kentucky, was sentenced to 90 months' imprisonment on a variety of charges that included vote buying, identity theft, and fraud. With specific regard to the election charges, Robinson and co-conspirators James "Red" Robinson (her husband) and James Steven Robinson (her son) threatened and intimidated residents of Martin in the run-up to the 2012 election in which Robinson was seeking re-election. The cabal targeted residents living in public housing or in properties Robinson owned, threatening them with eviction if they did not sign absentee ballots the Robinsons had already filled out. Robinson also targeted disabled residents and offered to buy the votes of others. "Red" Robinson was sentenced to 40 months in prison, and his son James Steven Robinson received a total of 31 months' imprisonment.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f4jVeF
Russell Mohammed pleaded guilty to one felony count of unlawful possession of an absentee ballot. Mohammed was initially charged with six counts of improper return of absentee ballots. He and two other men were charged with delivering absentee ballots to the city clerk's office from people not related to them or members of their household. Mohammed was fined and ordered to pay court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3l3JCQm, https://herit.ag/2VfyAwg
Mohammed Abdur Rahman, of Hamtramck, pleaded guilty to one count of improper possession of an absentee ballot. He initially faced five counts of improper possession of ballots during the 2013 primary election. He was sentenced to probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i30OmZ
Salim Ahmed pleaded guilty to one felony count of unlawful possession of an absentee ballot. Ahmed was initially charged with 20 counts of improper return of absentee ballots. He and two other men delivered absentee ballots to the city clerk's office from people not related to them or members of their household. Ahmed was fined and ordered to pay court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zKbCMH, https://herit.ag/3y9dsGN
Armani Asad, an unsuccessful candidate for Hamtramck City Council, pleaded guilty to one count of improper possession of an absentee ballot. Asad initially faced 14 charges related to improper return of absentee ballots. He and two other men illegally delivered absentee ballots to the city clerk's office from people not related to them or members of their household. Asad was fined and ordered to pay court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BOnZt2, https://herit.ag/3iWOlQS
When her husband passed away, Verna Roehm decided to honor his last request--to vote for Mitt Romney in the 2012 election. Months after his death, Mrs. Roehm filled out and submitted an absentee ballot in her husband's name. The illegal vote was caught after the election during an audit by election officials; when confronted about the irregularity, Mrs. Roehm admitted to casting the vote. Recognizing the unusual circumstances of the case, the judge convicted Roehm of a misdemeanor rather than a felony. She received no jail time.
Source: https://herit.ag/374MQe8, https://herit.ag/3f2Szp8, https://herit.ag/3ksgPEp
William McInerney, John Brown, Anthony DeFiglio, and Anthony Renna pleaded guilty to felony charges, having forged signatures on absentee ballots during the 2009 Working Families Party primary in the city of Troy. Sentences: John Brown, six months' imprisonment; Anthony DeFiglio, 100 hours' community service; Anthony Renna, 200 hours in work-order program; William McInerney, 90 days in work-order program.
Source: https://herit.ag/3ybqGTj
The former police chief of Harmar Township, pleaded guilty to illegally soliciting absentee ballots to benefit his wife and her running mate in the 2009 Democratic primary for town council. Toney applied for the ballots, and then had them filled out illegally by individuals not expected to be absent on election day. The absentee ballot count flipped the primary results, securing a victory for Mrs. Toney's running mate. During the subsequent FBI investigation, Mr. Toney attempted to prevent witnesses, including two grand jury witnesses, from testifying. Toney was sentenced to three years' probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3tXbxDG, https://herit.ag/3iTTE3J
Chief of Staff to Florida Rep. Joe Garcia (D_26), Jeffrey Garcia, resigned and pleaded guilty to orchestrating a plot involving the submission of hundreds of fraudulent absentee-ballot requests during the primary in 2012. Garcia was sentenced to 90 days in prison and 18 months' probation. He was ordered to spend the first three months of probation under house arrest.
Source: https://herit.ag/3l3237u
Deisy Cabrera pleaded guilty to charges of being an absentee ballot broker (boletera) as part of a massive absentee voter fraud scheme. Her notebook contained the names and addresses of over 500 voters who were mostly elderly Hispanics in Hialeah. The lists, titled Deisy's Voters, reportedly included information as to whether the voter was illiterate or was blind, deaf, or had Alzheimer's. She was sentenced to one year of probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BWXSAq, https://herit.ag/3fl9sM7
Beth Ann Gallagher cast an absentee ballot in Iowa on behalf of her daughter, who had recently moved to Minnesota (and who also voted in Minnesota) in the 2012 election. Gallagher pleaded guilty to false representation of records or process and paid a fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BKpyrX
Monica LaPlant, of Cahokia, was charged with incorrectly marking an absentee ballot in the 2013 election. She was given probation after pleading guilty.
Source: https://herit.ag/2VgR4g8
Pamela Bryant, of Cahokia, pleaded guilty to three counts of incorrectly marking an absentee ballot. She received probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/375VM2J
Austin Mayor Doug Campbell faced voter fraud charges that he illegally accepted absentee ballots from voters and filled out a woman's incomplete ballot. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor electioneering in exchange for prosecutors agreeing to dismiss the felony voter fraud and conspiracy charges, which enabled him to remain in office.
Source: https://herit.ag/3fl9tj9, https://herit.ag/3xbrtlQ
Paul Etheridge, former New Albany mayoral candidate in the Democratic primary, was charged with voter fraud for endorsing a ballot of someone he knew to be ineligible in the May 2011 Democratic mayoral primary in New Albany, Indiana. He pleaded guilty to Forgery of Official Ballot Endorsement and received a suspended 18-month sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rDnxt4
Michael Marshall, a Jennings County Democratic Party worker, pleaded guilty to three counts of vote fraud relating to applications for absentee ballots for his son, brother, and former roommate. Marshall was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i5A5Gj
Courtney Llewellyn, an East Longmeadow town employee, conspired with her husband to cast absentee ballots in her husband's race for state office. She changed the party registration of 285 registered Democrats to unaffiliated, and then requested Republican primary ballots for all of them. She and her husband took the ballots on the pretense of mailing them to the voters, but never did so. Llewellyn pleaded guilty to five charges including larceny, forgery, conspiracy, and interfering with an election official. She was sentenced to one year of probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i71RT3, https://herit.ag/3iZz81Q
Marian Wilson, from Grove City, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of illegal voting. Wilson voted twice in the 2010 general election, requesting and submitting two absentee ballots under two different names--Marian Wilson and Marian Toles. She was sentenced to one year of probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3tTpHWF, https://herit.ag/3BIejk1
Stephanie Elias, of Columbus, was charged with four counts of second-degree forgery and four counts of absentee ballot fraud stemming from illegal activity while working for a 2012 candidate for municipal office in Phenix City. Elias pleaded guilty to all eight counts and was sentenced to 22 months of probation, and fined $2,500. A spokeswoman for the Russell County district attorney confirmed confirmed the disposition of this case.
Source: https://herit.ag/2VdbXsC
Shelia Pritchett, of Phenix City, was charged with two counts of second-degree forgery and two counts of absentee ballot fraud stemming from illegal activity while working for a 2012 candidate for municipal office. Pritchett pleaded guilty to all four counts and was sentenced to 22 months of probation, and fined $2,500. A spokeswoman for the Russell County district attorney confirmed the disposition of this case.
Source: https://herit.ag/3l0q530
Democratic Rep. Hudson Hallum, his father Kent Hallum, and two campaign workers, Phillip Wayne Carter and Sam Malone, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit election fraud. The lawmaker's campaign bribed absentee voters and destroyed ballots in the Arkansas District 54 primary, runoff, and general elections in 2011. Hudson Hallam was sentenced to one year of home detention, three years' probation, and was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service. Kent Hallum received probation and nine months' home confinement. Sam Malone received three years' probation (7.2 months of which was home confinement), and 100 hours of community service. Carter received three years' probation (five months of which was monitored home confinement) 100 hours of community service, and a $2,500 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BJy3nb, https://herit.ag/3iS6Kyo
Officials in the small town of Cudahy took part in a widespread corruption scheme that included accepting cash bribes, abusing drugs at City Hall, and throwing out absentee ballots that favored election challengers. After a lengthy FBI Investigation of the 2007 and 2009 elections, the former head of code enforcement, Angel Perales, admitted to tampering with mail-in ballots in city elections by opening them and then resealing and submitting votes for incumbent candidates while discarding votes for challengers. He and Mayor David Silva pleaded guilty to bribery and extortion charges, although Perales' plea agreement included his admission of election fraud. Silva was sentenced to one year in federal prison. Perales was sentenced to five years' probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3yaLiLo , https://herit.ag/3EcTi14
In 2012, Brittany Curtis pleaded guilty to attempting to influence a public servant when she forged signatures and voter information on a ballot petition. She was given a deferred sentence of two years and fined $1,653.50.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zpVK1z, https://herit.ag/3i8MVnk
Sergio Robaina (the uncle of former Hialeah mayor) was charged with illegally collecting absentee ballots, a misdemeanor, and with felony voter fraud charges for allegedly filling out a ballot against the wishes of two voters, one of them a woman with dementia. Robaina pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of absentee ballots and was sentenced to one year of probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/2TBqqxS
John Cook, of Jennings County, pleaded guilty to perjury after he was arrested in connection with absentee ballot fraud. He was sentenced to 545 days' imprisonment, with one year of that time suspended.
Source: http://bit.ly/1S18hf1, (Case #40C01-1110-FC-000421)
Joshua Clemons was charged with voter fraud for completing two absentee ballots for people he knew to be ineligible in the May 2011 Democratic Primary. He pleaded guilty to fraudulent delivery of ballots and received a suspended 18-month sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/3x6wQmn
Christopher Marshall, of Jennings County, pleaded guilty to deception in a case involving absentee ballot fraud. His father, Michael Marshall, was working on a mayoral re-election campaign and was responsible for soliciting absentee ballot voters. He recruited his son and another individual (John Cook) to assist him. Christopher Marshall was ordered to pay court costs and fees, a fine, and restitution totaling $212.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zBqM70, (Case #40C01-1110-FC-000420)
Former State Representative Stephen Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of voter fraud in a scheme in which he obtained absentee ballots for ineligible voters and, in some cases, cast their ballots without their knowledge. He was sentenced to four months in prison, a year of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/2TBqr4U, https://herit.ag/3rANVnr
John Fernandez, who worked for the Essex County Department of Economic Development, was convicted of election fraud, absentee ballot fraud, and forgery. Fernandez submitted phony absentee ballots while he was working on the 2007 election campaign of state Sen. Teresa Ruiz. Fernandez's scheme involved messenger ballots, which are used by voters home-bound by illness or a disability. Fernandez fraudulently obtained the ballots, then filled them out on behalf of the voters who had never received them. He received a five-year prison sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/3kYtdws
Darryl Cates, of Westville, entered a plea of nolo contendere to charges of false notarization of absentee ballots. The charges stemmed from the 2009 Cave Springs School District election, in which 33 ballots were disputed based on inconsistencies between the signatures on ballot request forms and voter affidavits. All of the contested ballots were notarized by Cates. He was essentially charged with signing the names of two voters on absentee ballots. Following his plea, Cates received a three-year deferred sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f1zLH0, bit.ly/2tsI98P, https://herit.ag/2TCcAeD
Former Lincoln County Commissioner Thomas Ramey pleaded guilty to lying to federal officers in the midst of their investigation of a massive voter fraud conspiracy. Sheriff Jerry Bowman and County Clerk Donald Whitten also pleaded guilty, admitting that they stuffed ballot boxes with fraudulent ballots and falsified absentee ballots in an effort to rig the 2010 Democratic primary. Whitten won the election, but a judge overturned the election after throwing out 300 fraudulent ballots. Ramey was sentenced to 21 months of imprisonment. Bowman was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $5,000 fine. Whitten was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release, with a $5,000 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i6syqU, https://herit.ag/3iSZGBD
Michael Collins was convicted of election fraud and tax evasion after giving a false address to establish eligibility to vote in East St. Louis, even though he lived in Swansea. He was also elected to be a precinct committeeman in East St. Louis after getting family members to sign petitions to get him on the ballot. He was sentenced to 50 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Source: https://herit.ag/3ymcvet
Monte Murphy, a former Muncie City Councilman, was convicted of three counts of illegally receiving absentee ballots following a jury trial. He provided the ballots to the individuals, told them how to vote for a straight Democrat ticket, and then mailed in the ballots for them. The trial court reduced each conviction to a Class A misdemeanor and sentenced Monte to consecutive one-year terms, suspended to probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3x2sWLi
Terrance Watts, a convicted felon and therefore ineligible to vote, pleaded guilty to two counts of voter fraud for swearing in an affidavit on an absentee ballot that he was eligible to vote in Madison County and for voting in two elections. He was sentenced to two consecutive five-year prison terms.
Source: https://herit.ag/2UTbXy0
NAACP official Lessadolla Sowers was convicted on 10 counts of fraudulently casting absentee ballots for voting in the names of 10 people, four of them deceased. She received a five-year sentence for each count, to be served concurrently.
Source: https://herit.ag/376jAn8
Alan Lloyd Skari pleaded guilty to a "limits on voting rights" charge after he submitted his ex-wife's absentee ballot without her permission. He was given a six-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay a $250 fine plus a $35 surcharge.
Source: https://herit.ag/2WixO26
Angel Colon pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree election fraud for fraudulently submitting absentee messenger ballots on behalf of voters who never received the ballots or had an opportunity to cast their votes. He was sentenced to three years in prison.
Source: https://herit.ag/374K2O0
Ronald Harris pleaded guilty to charges in connection with an absentee ballot fraud conspiracy, in which he and 13 others shredded ballots which cast votes for the opposition during the 2009 Atlantic City Democratic primary. He was sentenced to 181 days in prison.
Source: https://herit.ag/2Z5up8g
Deshara M. McKinney, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to falsifying signatures on applications for absentee ballots while working as a canvasser in the 2009 ballot initiative to allow casinos in Ohio. McKinney fled the state after her fraud was discovered, and was eventually arrested in Michigan. She was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to complete 40 hours of community service. She was also required to pay court costs and the cost of her extradition.
Source: https://herit.ag/3tTpGC5
Ms. Berry pleaded guilty and received a two-year suspended sentence. The former Pike County Commissioner narrowly won--and then lost--her 2008 reelection bid when 10 absentee ballots were found to have been fraudulently cast in the election. Ms. Berry was charged with mailing an illegal absentee ballot.
Source: https://herit.ag/2Va2qT0
Gay Nell Tinker, a former circuit clerk for Hale County, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of absentee ballot fraud after her scheme to orchestrate fraudulent absentee ballots for the benefit of multiple candidates was uncovered. She admitted to falsifying the ballots of five voters to benefit certain candidates, including her brother, Circuit Court Judge Marvin Wiggins, and her husband, Senator Bobby Singleton (D_Greensboro).
Source: https://herit.ag/2ZoJOkR, https://herit.ag/3Bsz81z
Tommy Raney, a 2007 candidate for the Jackson City Council, and his campaign worker, Debra Brown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit absentee ballot fraud for mishandling more than 40 absentee ballots in the 2007 Jackson City Council race. Raney had won the election by 27 votes. Both were sentenced to two years' probation. Raney was fined $158,000, and Brown was fined $20,000.
Source: https://herit.ag/2Vdv31N, https://herit.ag/3742shY
William Brown, of Cahokia, pleaded guilty to 22 charges related to election fraud after he worked with candidates for the Cahokia village board to rig their 2009 municipal election. Brown helped to apply for fraudulent absentee ballots and submit votes using those ballots. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, two years probation, and 200 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3iOfQfA, https://herit.ag/3i9u9fM
Anish Eapen, a city streets and sanitation superintendent in Chicago's 50th ward, pleaded guilty to absentee ballot violations. He approached residents of his ward while showing them his town badge, offered to help them cast absentee ballots, and filled out some of their ballots himself while working for an alderman candidate. Eapen was sentenced to 364 days in Cook County jail.
Source: https://herit.ag/2VcrLvx, https://herit.ag/2VgEuNX
Kyle R. Johnson, a former Cahokia village trustee, falsified absentee ballot applications and illegally cast the ballots he obtained during a municipal election. He received five years' probation, 14 days in jail, and 200 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rDnu0m, https://herit.ag/3761ime
Armando Ramos, of Chicago, pleaded guilty to absentee ballot violations in 2010. He had approached residents, offered to help them vote absentee, and in some cases filled out ballots for them during a 2007 election in which he was working for an alderman candidate. He was sentenced to 270 days in Cook County jail.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BLlZ4W, https://herit.ag/3iZz2Y2
In the 2009 Cahokia municipal election, former village trustee Trevon L. Tompkin falsified absentee ballot applications and illegally voted the ballots he obtained. He received five years' probation, 14 days in jail, and 200 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f22fQy, https://herit.ag/3BMDtxO
Kevin Wiggins, of Cahokia, pleaded guilty to 43 charges against him in a voter fraud scheme in Cahokia's 2009 municipal election. Wiggins, along with candidates for the village board, filed fraudulent applications for absentee ballots and subsequently voted using those ballots. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, two years of probation, and 200 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/2Wi174U, https://herit.ag/3ydNSAo
Ernest Storr pleaded guilty to committing absentee ballot fraud by tampering with ballots in the Atlantic City mayoral campaigns of Marty Small and former Mayor Scott Evans. Storr tampered with absentee ballots and instructed a Small campaign worker to do the same. Storr was one of 14 individuals arrested on various voter fraud charges involving Councilman Small's failed 2009 mayoral bid. He was sentenced to probation in May 2013.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i8YUS4
Gianine Narvaez, a former data processing technician for the Essex County Commissioner of Registration and Superintendent of Elections, pleaded guilty to third-degree charges of absentee ballot fraud and tampering with public records or information. Narvaez was sentenced to a three-year prison term.
Source: https://herit.ag/2Wsqj95
David Patrick Duffy, of Doylestown, pleaded guilty to forgery, record tampering, and making an unsworn falsification to authorities in relation to falsified voter registrations. He forged numerous individuals' signatures on fraudulent voter registrations. Duffy was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3ybqH9P, https://herit.ag/3EzxrSz
Zaida Cantu Bueno, a politiquera in South Texas, pleaded guilty to absentee ballot fraud. Bueno was involved in vote-harvesting schemes in which she would illegally "assist" voters in filling out absentee ballots. Bueno received a 180-day suspended jail sentence and one year of probation, and was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay a $200 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/370azw2, https://herit.ag/3BNfq1F, https://herit.ag/3f2SDVU
Cynthia Lopez, of Live Oak County, pleaded guilty to one count of absentee ballot fraud after she unlawfully possessed other voters' absentee ballots in the 2008 primary election. She was sentenced to a 180-day suspended sentence, one year of probation, and was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay a $200 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/2USO7Cx, https://herit.ag/374MLHm
Norma Lopez, of Live Oak County, Texas, pleaded guilty to absentee ballot fraud after she unlawfully collected other voters' absentee ballots during the 2008 primary election. She was sentenced to a 180-day suspended jail sentence, one year of probation, and was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay a $200 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i5A7Or
Raul Pena Jr., Starr County Commissioner, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges that he illegally returned a marked ballot and that he mailed a ballot belonging to another vote. The charges stem from an incident in which Pena delivered 56 ballots to a local post office. Postal officials found it suspicious that Pena possessed so many ballots, yet none were signed by Pena as the law requires of those who assist voters. He was sentenced to six months of community supervision, received a 180 day suspended jail sentence, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/2WrcPdH, https://herit.ag/3i73ksr, https://herit.ag/3iS6Vty
Alicia Pena Perez, a former Freer municipal judge, pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful assistance and four counts of possession of a ballot. During the 2008 primary election, Perez took possession of ballots that did not belong to her and illegally prepared them. She received one year of probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i7Jpd2
Janice Waters, of Marysville, was convicted of illegal registration in the wrong county, absentee ballot fraud, and illegal double voting in the 2008 general election. Waters submitted a ballot for her son, who was a convicted felon and ineligible to vote. Upon questioning, Waters told the County Sheriff's Office she did not submit her son's ballot and suspected her mail had been intercepted or misdirected. Forensic scientists analyzed Waters' signature with the signature on her son's absentee ballot and concluded she had submitted the form. Waters was sentenced to 20 days in jail; the sentence was later converted to 160 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i5AxnX, https://herit.ag/3iXAJVN
Irving Anders of Prairie Du Chien pleaded guilty to a charge of absentee ballot fraud. He was ordered to pay a court assessment of $883.
Source: bit.ly/2tmV0LR, bit.ly/2uPxeWM
The Wisconsin couple was convicted of voting twice, with each casting absentee ballots in elections in the town of Wyocena, where they owned a cabin, before later voting in the city of Blooming Grove. The victor in the Wyocena trustee's race--who also happened to be the Kwiatkowskis' preferred candidate--won by a two-vote margin, prompting the judge to declare that the couple's fraud swung the election. Mr. Kwiatkowski was fined $2,000 and his wife received a $1,500 fine.
Source: bit.ly/2fLkwVj
Valada Paige Banks and Rosie Lyles pleaded guilty to third-degree possession of a forged affidavit of an absentee ballot with intent to defraud. They both received 12-month suspended sentences and two years of probation and were ordered to pay court fees.
Source: https://herit.ag/3l0pUom
Rocio Rivera and Edwin Cruz were indicted for tampering with ballots and fraudulently submitting ballots in favor of New Jersey Senator Teresa Ruiz. They and a fellow co-conspirator obtained messenger ballots from the county clerk and submitted them to the board of elections as votes on behalf of voters who, in fact, never received or filled out their ballots. John Fernandez was convicted of conspiracy (2nd degree), election fraud (2nd degree), absentee ballot fraud (3rd degree), tampering with public records or information (3rd degree), and forgery (4th degree). Cruz pleaded guilty to third-degree tampering with public records or information, and Rivera pleaded guilty to third-degree absentee ballot fraud.
Source: https://herit.ag/3x2taC8
Michele Finney, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to voter fraud in the 2008 election. Finney had signed her son's absentee ballot and voted herself. She was sentenced to 180 days' imprisonment, which would be suspended if she paid the $1000 fine within three months.
Source: https://herit.ag/3nVCuHf
Cathy LaMaster pleaded guilty to attempted false election registration. She filled out an absentee ballot for herself in Franklin County, and filled another out for her daughter in Guernsey County, where she goes to school. LaMaster was fined $1,000 and sentenced to one year on probation with a suspended six-month jail sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/3EzxkGD, https://herit.ag/2TBqrSs, https://herit.ag/3hS6FLA
Guadalupe Rios pleaded guilty to eleven counts of illegally possessing a ballot without the voter's consent. She was sentenced to 60 days' house arrest, four years of probation, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/3iSGRyD
Susan Risenhoover pleaded guilty to forging the signature of her son (who had moved to Texas) on an absentee ballot and then submitting it in connection with the 2008 election. She was sentenced to 40 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f2SIJc
Stephen Wroblewski pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of Providing False Information to Obtain an Absentee Ballot. Wroblewski illegally procured a ballot in order to vote in the 2008 election in the name of his wife, a Democrat activist who had recently passed away. He was given a $500 fine.
Source: bit.ly/2ttqcaq, bit.ly/2tNN0Rv
Ponciano Herrera, a Lake County police officer, pleaded guilty to handling a forged absentee ballot in the 2003 East Chicago Democratic mayoral primary election. Herrera was sentenced to 90 days of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election that resulted in a different winner.
Source: https://herit.ag/375WJrO
Ronald DeCastro, an East Chicago police officer, pleaded guilty to a charge of voter fraud in connection with his misconduct during the 2003 East Chicago Democratic mayoral primary election. He did not live in East Chicago, so he used the address of his uncle in order to cast an absentee ballot in the election. DeCastro received a 60-day suspended jail sentence and was sentenced to 60 days of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election that resulted in a different winner.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zBAeHq, https://herit.ag/3kYe7XP, https://herit.ag/3x8KmWP
Terrance Lay, a city council candidate in the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary, pleaded guilty to procuring and handling an absentee ballot for his brother-in-law in violation of state law that forbids anyone other than the voter or a close relative from handling absentee ballots. Lay was the last of the 46 people convicted by the Joint Vote Fraud Task Force formed in the wake of the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. Fraud in this 2003 primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral primary that resulted in a different winner.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rB1GT9
Kristy Dettle from Fridley, Minnesota was charged with voting more than once in the same election, making or signing a false certificate, and making a false or untrue statement on an absentee ballot application. She pleaded guilty to voting more than once, and the other charges were dismissed. She was sentenced to one year of probation and a fine of $1,000.
Source: https://herit.ag/3y83GVl , https://herit.ag/2WixEYy
Joel Neal, of St. Louis, Missouri, voted twice in the 2008 primary election: once in person for himself, and once via absentee ballot in the name of his deceased mother. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month of home confinement and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f4s8zw
Mayor Christopher Campbell was convicted of voter fraud, forgery, and official misconduct. Campbell filled out 16 absentee ballots, then found and persuaded voters who had not made it to the polls to cast them in their own names. Campbell was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f3VxcZ, https://herit.ag/3BKBIkL
Allan "Twig" Simmons, an operative for the Chicago mayor's campaign, was charged with three counts of attempted obstruction of justice and six counts of ballot fraud after persuading individuals to let him fill out their absentee ballots in exchange for jobs. He pleaded guilty to three counts of fraudulent application, showing, examination, receipt or delivery of ballots. He was sentenced to 3 years' probation and 100 hours of community service. Fraud in the 2003 East Chicago mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral race that resulted in a different winner.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rANV6V
Tonya Griffin-Bronaugh, the sister of Terrance Lay, pleaded guilty to filling out and signing an application for an absentee ballot in the name of her former husband without his knowledge in connection with the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. Her brother was a city council candidate in that election. Griffin-Bronaugh was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral race that resulted in a different winner.
Source: https://herit.ag/376jzzA
Following a jury trial, Reverand Edward Pinkney of Benton Harbor was found guilty of possessing other individuals' absentee ballots and buying votes in a 2005 runoff election. At a local soup kitchen, Pinkney would pay $5 to each poor or homeless person who would fill out an absentee ballot.
Source: https://herit.ag/2Wi17BW
Martha Gardner pleaded guilty to one count of voter fraud in connection with absentee ballot misconduct during the 2005 Houston mayoral Democratic primary. Witnesses alleged that Gardner had come to them with absentee ballots they did not request and marked the ballots for them. Gardner was initially indicted on 37 counts of voter fraud. A judge imposed a five-year suspended sentence and put Gardner on 30 months of probation. Gardner was also ordered to pay $391.50 in court costs, $100 of which would go to the Crime Victim's Compensation Fund.
Source: https://herit.ag/3j9Zgan
Raymond Villarreal, the then-County Commissioner of Refugio, pleaded guilty to charges related to a scheme to rig the absentee vote in his favor during his 2006 primary race for commissioner. Villarreal first had registered voters request absentee ballots, but then routed the ballots to known supporters who would vote for Villarreal. He then had the original applicants sign the ballots. He was sentenced to 90 days in the county jail and given five years of probation. He was also ordered to complete 300 hours of community service and pay $2,500 in fines. Villarreal was forced to resign.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zH53L3
Former Appalachia mayor Ben Cooper and 14 others were convicted of voter fraud after conspiring to manipulate the 2004 elections in his town by buying the votes of residents, offering them cigarettes, beer, and pork rinds. He and his supporters also stole absentee ballots from the mail. This was the largest voter fraud conspiracy to date in Virginia. Cooper was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but the term was suspended after he served two years in jail and another two years in electronic home monitoring detention. Most of the other 14 defendants received suspended sentences or house arrest.
Source: https://herit.ag/3jY1St9, https://herit.ag/3EmHZnf
Kimberly Prude, a campaign volunteer for the Kerry_Edwards campaign, was convicted of illegally casting an absentee ballot in the 2004 election. She was already a convicted felon for forgery charges in 2000. Her probation was revoked and she is now serving her sentence in prison.
Source: bit.ly/2tQMkfi
Winston Keyes, of Denver, Colorado, pleaded guilty to voting twice in the 2005 general election. He forged his mother's signature on her absentee ballot, despite the fact that his mother had died in July of that year. He was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3zFecnl, https://herit.ag/3ybqFyJ
Eduardo Perez, Sr., pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving an absentee ballot in connection to the 2003 East Chicago mayoral Democrat primary. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election that resulted in a different winner.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BLlMPc
Willie Ray, a Texarkana Ward 2 City Councilwoman, and Jamillah Johnson pleaded guilty to fraudulent use of absentee ballots during the 2004 general election. The two women illegally assisted elderly and other voters in submitting applications for mail-in ballots, then collected and mailed in the completed ballots for the voters. This assistance is a Class B misdemeanor under Texas law. The judge fined Willie Ray $200 and sentenced her to eight months of probation. Jamillah Johnson received a $200 fine and six months of probation.
Source: bit.ly/2fcgEMG, bit.ly/2f26dIi
Trinidad Villalobos was convicted by a jury of illegally possessing and transporting ballots belonging to multiple voters during the 2004 primary. According to witnesses, Villalobos offered to assist elderly voters fill out applications for absentee ballots and would later collect and mail those ballots. Unauthorized possession of ballots is a misdemeanor under Texas law. Villalobos received six months of probation for each charge.
Source: https://herit.ag/3x9300o
Isabel Rios Gonzalez, of Nueces County, entered a plea of nolo contendere to two counts of "possessing of an official ballot or carrier envelope of another." In a 2005 school district election, she targeted the elderly by going door-to-door to obtain votes, and then took the ballots to the post office for mailing. She was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication, 12 months of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. She conspired to engage in vote harvesting with Virginia Ramos Garza, Elida Garza Flores, and Josefina Marinas Suarez, all of whom were charged and ultimately admitted into diversion programs or received deferred adjudications.
Source: Case No. 05-CR-9808-3 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas), bit.ly/2GT3PVA
The Birmingham Office of the U.S. Attorney and the Alabama Attorney General conducted an extensive joint investigation of absentee ballot fraud allegations in Greene County in the November 1994 election. By the end of the investigation, nine defendants pleaded guilty to voter fraud and two others were found guilty by a jury. The defendants included Greene County commissioners, officials, and employees; a racing commissioner; a member of the board of education; a Eutaw city councilman; and other community leaders. The conspiracy included using an assembly line to mass produce forged absentee ballots meant to swing elections in favor of preferred candidates.
Source: https://herit.ag/3i71R5v
Johnny Wayne Akers, of Hardeman County, was charged with six counts of "possession of an official ballot or carrier envelope of another" for engaging in vote harvesting activities during a 2004 primary election in Texas. He pleaded guilty to possession of an official ballot, and was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
Source: Case No. 013449 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas)
A former election judge, Leander Brooks, pleaded guilty to election fraud in the 2002 election. He forged signatures of three dead people on absentee ballot applications. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and a $400 fine.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f2YDhs, Docket # 03-CR-30201-DRH
Patricia Deganutti was found guilty of violating Illinois absentee ballot law by "unlawful observation of voting." While serving as a precinct captain in Cicero, Illinois, she visited a voter's home and persuaded him to apply for an absentee ballot, then returned and told him how to fill it out, and left with the completed ballot. She was sentenced to 18 months' probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3kZqq63, https://herit.ag/2TG2nxW
Michelle Chandler, a worker in the city controller's office, was charged with a fraudulent receipt of ballot, voting outside of her district, and perjury in connection to misconduct during the 2003 East Chicago Democratic mayoral primary. She was found guilty of one count of perjury in a jury trial, a felony, and given one year of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election that resulted in a different winner.
Source: https://herit.ag/3kYm67j
Nathaniel Gosha was convicted of 25 counts (nine felony counts of falsifying ballots and 16 counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument) of voter fraud for offering to sell absentee votes in Russell County. Another Russell County resident, Lizzie Mae Perry, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of falsifying absentee ballots and two misdemeanor counts of disclosing votes. Gosha was sentenced to 180 days in jail, 4.5 years of probation, and $2,600 in court fines. Perry was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 18 months' probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BLlLe6
Larry Gray was charged with illegally casting more than 25 absentee ballots in other people's names during the 2002 primary, but the sum total of his election fraud may have been much higher. The former sanitation director for the city applied for hundreds of ballots, successfully submitting 98 in the Democratic primary. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Gray was likely not the only one running this type of scheme. After pleading guilty, Gray received two years' probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/2TIUXKo, https://herit.ag/3l2K6WU, https://herit.ag/3x2sVHe
After moving from their Evansville home, Gary and Leila Blake requested absentee ballots. The ballots were returned with Evansville offices and ballot issues, which the couple filled out and returned despite no longer living there. The couple pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge. Each must pay $350 in fines and serve six months on probation.
Source: https://herit.ag/3l1NaTd
Melvin Lightning pleaded guilty to illegal absentee voting. Along with Evans, Lightning forged absentee ballot request forms in the name of other voters. Upon receiving the ballots, the pair took them to the named voters and obtained their signatures on the ballot envelope without telling the voters that they were signing an actual ballot. Lightning then completed and cast the ballots himself. He received a 12-month prison sentence, which was suspended in favor of 12 months' probation. His accomplice, Evans, was convicted in 1998 on seven counts of illegal absentee voting. He got a 10-year prison sentence, eight of which were suspended.
Source: https://herit.ag/3f2Yw5w
An absentee-ballot buying operation was uncovered in Winston County, Alabama, that led to the conviction of the sheriff, circuit clerk, a district judge, and several candidates for county commission and the board of education. The conspirators set out to buy absentee ballots in the 2000 Republican primary with bribes of cash, beer, and liquor. Judge Richardson pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of failing to report campaign expenditures; the others pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from the operation. Bailey was sentenced to three years' probation, plus a $1,000 fine and 250 hours of community service. Neal got three years' probation, a $2,500 fine, and 250 hours' community service. Ingram was ordered to serve a year in prison and pay a $1,000 fine. Emerson got two years' probation. Judge Richardson resigned, and received a suspended six-month prison sentence, one year probation, and a $1,000 fine.
Source: bit.ly/2feojb2
Hialeah Gardens Mayor Gilda Oliveros was convicted of six charges that ranged from voter fraud to asking two of her former employees to murder her then-husband so she could cash in on a $45,000 life insurance policy. She was sentenced to 4.8 years in state prison, but was released on a $100,000 bond to appeal her sentence.
Source: https://herit.ag/3l3JC2O, https://herit.ag/2TEI6J9
Jon Saylor ordered absentee ballots sent to the home of a friend, and then filled them out as votes for himself. After winning the seat of the 1st Ward councilman in Fairfield, Ohio, the election results were called into question and an investigation was opened. Saylor was convicted of 29 counts of false registrations, one count of inducing illegal voting, 12 counts of absentee voter's ballot violation, 14 counts of illegal voting, one count of election falsification, and one count of interference with the conduct of an election. He was sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment.
Source: bit.ly/2f8w7uc, https://herit.ag/3iWalvd
Terri Kobialka was a University of Oregon student during the 2000 election when she filled out a ballot mailed to her apartment in the name of a former tenant. Kobialka pleaded guilty to falsely signing a ballot, a Class C felony. She was sentenced to 18 months of probation, ordered to complete 120 hours of community service, and fined $500.
Source: https://herit.ag/2XGXSVO
Former Congressman Austin Murphy was convicted on one charge of absentee ballot fraud. Murphy forged ballots for senior citizens living in a nursing home, claiming merely to be assisting them in exercising their voting rights. He was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BOrBLR, https://herit.ag/3iSGMLl, https://herit.ag/3i71Y0V
Humberto Hernandez was convicted of being an accessory to covering up fraud and removed from office after it was discovered that hundreds of fraudulent absentee ballots were cast in his favor. He was sentenced to a one-year prison term.
Source: https://herit.ag/2UXZNno, https://herit.ag/3BLKu1R
Gillian Yingling and 18 others, of Rio Arriba County, including several local officials, were arrested on election-fraud charges, including ineligible absentee voting and false statements on absentee ballots. Yingling pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor voter fraud charge, receiving 364 days' supervised probation.
Source: bit.ly/2fL3qH7
Liz Diaz, a former 4th District town committee member in Hartford, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit election fraud and to witness tampering after she registered ineligible voters to receive absentee ballots and intimidated a witness to lie about her reason for requesting an absentee ballot in a court hearing regarding the 1996 Democratic town committee election. She was sentenced to two months in jail.
Source: https://herit.ag/2VheVvT, https://herit.ag/2Zf8agl, https://herit.ag/3hQnAhw
Virgen Figueroa, a former town committee member from Hartford, pleaded guilty to absentee ballot fraud and forgery. In a plot with several other individuals to elect Democrat candidates for town committee in the 1996 election, Figueroa registered ineligible voters to receive absentee ballots and helped them to mark their ballots. She was sentenced to two months in jail.
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Edwin E. Garcia, a former lawmaker and Hartford Police Sergeant, pleaded no contest to three felony counts of absentee ballot fraud, tampering with a witness, and accepting an illegal campaign contribution. Garcia and his campaign workers systematically registered hundreds of young voters and furnished many with absentee ballots that they neither qualified for nor understood. He received a sentence of one year of house arrest.
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Barbara Landers, a Democrat campaign worker, was involved in a massive absentee ballot scheme during the 1993 Pennsylvania special state senate election. She was convicted of 30 counts of misleading absentee voters, given a suspended sentence, and fined $1,000.
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Ramon Pratt, a Democrat campaign worker, was involved in a massive absentee ballot scheme during the 1993 Pennsylvania special state senate election. He pleaded guilty to 22 counts of election law violations for his role in the scheme. Pratt was sentenced to two years of probation for his involvement.
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Calvin McFarland, an incumbent running for re-election to the Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors, was convicted on two counts relating to illegally signing absentee ballots. McFarland, a Democrat, lost in the primary, and after a lengthy series of runoffs and challenges, was indicted along with 13 other then-current and former county officials. McFarland was charged with six counts of falsely signing names to ballots, and was convicted of two. One of them charged McFarland with signing a ballot in the name of 'Lottie James,' and then falsely attesting that James' signature was valid. For each charge, McFarland was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. One of the prison sentences was suspended.
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Sandra Sewell was convicted on voter fraud charges stemming from her 1991 efforts to help Calvin McFarland fraudulently win re-election for a seat on the Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors. Sewell notarized fraudulent absentee ballots in the race. Sewell was convicted on eight counts related to the fraud and ordered to serve five years in prison and pay a $2,000 fine. Sewell, an attorney, was also disbarred.
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Ernest Newton, a former state senator, agreed to pay a civil penalty of $1,000 for assisting in filling out someone else's absentee ballot. Newton illegally filled out and mailed an absentee ballot for Ada Crosby. The fraud occurred in the 1988 primary while Newton was a state senate candidate in the 124th District. Following his election, he was imprisoned after accepting a bribe, using campaign contributions for personal expenses, and failing to report improper income on his federal tax return. In 2015, Newton was sentenced to six months' imprisonment for campaign finance violations stemming from having three campaign workers fraudulently sign donation cards in order for the campaign to reach the threshold to qualify for state matching funds.
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