Election Fraud Cases
Details
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
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Guillermina Fuentes and Alma Yadira Juarez
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
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Alma Yadira Juarez and Guillermina Fuentes
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
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Victor Aguirre, a convicted felon, was charged by the state with one felony count of falsely registering to vote and one felony count of illegally voting in the 2020 general election. Aguirre pleaded guilty to one felony count of attempted illegal voting and was sentenced to a minimum term of six months in prison with credit for 36 days of time served, to be followed by a period of supervised release, and was assessed fees and fines of $469.
Source: herit.ag/3FDlaxW , herit.ag/3BHTNkP, herit.ag/3FxQP3u
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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
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Kimberly Chaouch pleaded no contest to one felony count of registering to vote at the address of former councilmember Jace Dawson despite not living there for the June 2020 Compton City Council run-off election. She was charged with illegally voting for Compton City Councilmember Isaac Galvan, who won that election by one vote. She will be sentenced in May.
Source: https://herit.ag/3BqdRXD, https://herit.ag/3JojWqu
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Toni Morris pleaded no contest to one felony count of registering to vote at the address of former councilmember Jace Dawson despite not living there for the June 2020 Compton City Council run-off election. She was charged with illegally voting for Compton City Councilmember Isaac Galvan, who won that election by one vote. She will be sentenced in May.
Source: https://herit.ag/3rSRRl9 , https://herit.ag/3oVoKvM
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Carlos Antonio De Bourbon Montenegro
Carlos Antonio De Montenegro (also known as Mark Anthony Gonsalves) was caught in an elaborate scheme to rig the mayoral election in Hawthorne, California. He was accused in a 41-count indictment of submitting (along with others) over 8,000 fraudulent voter registration applications on behalf of homeless people prior to the 2020 election, as well as falsifying names, addresses and signatures on nomination papers for him to run for mayor. Prosecutors allege that the entire operation was funded by the criminal gang MS-13 so that they could Montenegro in an elected position in order to help the gang. De Montenegro pleaded Nolo Contendere to three counts of false registration, registering non-existent voters, and perjury. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, two years of probation, and 30 days community labor.
Source: herit.ag/3PCuZSM , herit.ag/3Ph3H2X , herit.ag/44Sl3cn
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Barry Reed pleaded no contest to one felony count of registering to vote at the address of former councilmember Jace Dawson despite not living there for the June 2020 Compton City Council run-off election. She was charged with illegally voting for Compton City Councilmember Isaac Galvan, who won that election by one vote. He will be sentenced in May.
Source: https://herit.ag/3Bo6uzW , https://herit.ag/3JBDM1F
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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
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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
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Romona Oliver, of Hillsborough County, a convicted felon, was charged by the state with one felony count of voting by an unqualified voter and one felony count of false swearing after she voted in the 2020 election. She pleaded no contest to the charge of voting by an unqualified voter in exchange for dismissal of the false swearing charge. She was sentenced to timed served and assessed $548 in court costs.
Source: https://herit.ag/3WYkudD , https://herit.ag/3ZkdCJv , https://herit.ag/3Gv1cWy , https://herit.ag/3XhUWrY
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Dedrick De'ron Baldwin, a convicted felon, was charged by the state with two felony counts of submission of false voter registration information and two felony counts of willfully voting as an unqualified elector, after he voted in the 2020 Democratic Primary and 2020 General Election. He pleaded nolo contendere to all four charges and was sentenced to 364 days in prison on each count, to be served concurrently, with credit for 47 days of time served. Baldwin is already serving a 12-year sentence for manslaughter and aggravated battery. The fraud was discovered following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement following an eight-month investigation of Alachua County Democrat election supervisor Kim Barton who organized voter registration drives that improperly registered several inmates to vote.
Source: herit.ag/3v3IQ9y , herit.ag/3BK8CU0
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Devin King was charged by the state with one count of criminal use of personal identification information after fraudulently adding voters’ names and signatures to constitutional amendment ballot petitions. State election officials discovered that King had submitted over 500 forms and contacted law enforcement because the signatures of numerous voters did not match their signatures on file, personal information of voters was wrong, and forms that normally arrived worn looked “pristine.” Officials contacted 10 of the individuals who had supposedly signed the ballot petition forms, all of whom confirmed they had not signed the petitions, nor were they aware that their personal information was being listed on the ballot petition form. Another 10 individuals were deceased. King pleaded guilty to the felony charge and was sentenced to 1 year in prison with credit served for 5 days and fined $1,519 in court costs and fines.
Source: https://herit.ag/3ZoXo1y , https://herit.ag/3GsGG8N , https://herit.ag/3k4AQTH
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Jordan Daniels was charged by the state with one felony count of criminal use of personal identification information after fraudulently adding voters’ names and signatures to constitutional amendment ballot petitions. State election officials discovered that Daniels had submitted over 50 forms and contacted law enforcement because the signatures of numerous voters did not match their signatures on file, personal information of voters was wrong, and forms that normally arrived worn looked “pristine.”. Officials contacted 10 of the individuals who had supposedly signed the ballot petition forms, all of whom confirmed they had not signed the petitions, nor were they aware that their personal information was being listed on the ballot petition form. Another 10 individuals were deceased. Daniels pleaded guilty to the felony charge and was sentenced to 10 months in jail, 14 months of probation, 100 hours of community service, $40 per month in supervision costs, and fined $1,669 in court costs and fines.
Source: https://herit.ag/3XiQOI3 , https://herit.ag/3k38pW7 , https://herit.ag/3ZtMjw7 , https://herit.ag/3k1t7Wq
Key & Definitions
Types of Cases
Any case that results in a defendant entering a plea of guilty or no contest, or being found guilty in court of election-related offenses.
A finding by a court of law that fraud occurred in an election, including judicial orders overturning election results or ordering a new election due to fraud.
Any civil case resulting in fines or other penalties imposed for a violation of election laws.
A finding by a government body that fraud occurred in an election, including orders overturning election results or ordering a new election due to fraud.
Any criminal case in which a judge directs a defendant into a pre-trial diversion program, or stays or defers adjudication with the understanding that the conviction will be cleared upon completion of the program.
Types of Voter Fraud
Requesting absentee ballots and voting without the knowledge of the actual voter; or obtaining the absentee ballot from a voter and either filling it in directly and forging the voter’s signature or illegally telling the voter who to vote for.
Illegal registration and voting by individuals who are not U.S. citizens, are convicted felons, or are otherwise not eligible to vote.
Voting in the name of other legitimate voters and voters who have died, moved away, or lost their right to vote because they are felons, but remain registered.
Paying voters to cast either an in-person or absentee ballot for a particular candidate.
Forging the signatures of registered voters on the ballot petitions that must be filed with election officials in some states for a candidate or issue to be listed on the official ballot
Registering in multiple locations and voting in the same election in more than one jurisdiction or state.
Voting under fraudulent voter registrations that either use a phony name and a real or fake address or claim residence in a particular jurisdiction where the registered voter does not actually live and is not entitled to vote.
Changing the actual vote count either in a precinct or at the central location where votes are counted.
Forcing or intimidating voters—particularly the elderly, disabled, illiterate, and those for whom English is a second language—to vote for particular candidates while supposedly providing them with “assistance.”
