Election Fraud Cases
Details
Marc Crump, a convicted felon, was charged with one felony count of false swearing to register to vote and two felony counts of illegally voting in connection with the August 2020 primary and November 2020 general election. He pleaded guilty to one count of false swearing and one count of illegal voting in exchange for the state dismissing the third count of illegal voting. He was sentenced to 10 months in jail on each count, to be served concurrently, with credit for 5 days of time served, and was assessed $668 in costs and fees.
Source: herit.ag/3hH0H31, herit.ag/3v32VwS , herit.ag/3Wv1pzq
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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
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Richard Guggenheim was charged by the state with one felony count of illegal voting after voting twice in the 2020 primary election, once in Idaho and again in Florida. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to unsupervised probation, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service within six months, and assessed fees of $1,245,50.
Source: https://herit.ag/41AELbK, https://herit.ag/41xakDa
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Charlie Skiles was charged by the state with one felony count of illegal voting and one misdemeanor count of illegal registration after voting in the 2020 General Election. Skiles was ineligible to vote since he was on probation for a prior felony conviction. On election day, Skiles filled out a voter registration form at the polls using Idaho’s same day voter registration law and falsely affirmed he was an eligible voter. Prior to the 2020 election, Skiles, on 4 separate occasions, had attempted to register despite being ineligible, but the attempts were caught and removed by Ada County Election Officials although they failed to notify law enforcement of his actions. Skiles was convicted by a jury on both counts and sentenced to 3 years in prison, which was suspended for 3 years of probation. Skiles was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and assessed court costs of $2,082.85.
Source: https://herit.ag/41zJ0nX, https://herit.ag/41yEwxR
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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
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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
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Jerry Trabona and Kristian "Kris" Hart
Jerry Trabona, former Chief of Police in Amite City, was initially charged by federal authorities with one count of conspiracy to commit vote buying and three counts of vote buying and aiding & abetting after his involvement in a vote-buying scheme during 2016 Tangipahoa Parish primary and general elections. Trabona, who served as Chief of Police from 2005-2020, conspired with Kristian Hart, who served as an Amite City Councilmember since 2016, by soliciting individuals to buy votes for them and other candidates they supported in the Tangipahoa Parish 2016 Open Primary and General Elections. According to the indictment "Hart and Trabona provided individuals who were buying votes for them and individuals selling their votes with sample ballots and lists of candidate numbers for whom the voters should cast their votes." To conceal the purpose of these payments "Trabona had those individuals sign contracts falsely stating that they would not 'make any overture of any kind to any voter or other person of financial award or benefit in exchange for a vote.’" Hart and Trabona had the vote-buyers provide a list of the voter paid, and after receiving the list, would pay the vote-buyer up to $20 for each individual they had paid to vote. Trabona pleaded guilty to a one-count federal superseding indictment of conspiracy to commit vote buying. He is awaiting sentencing.
Source: https://herit.ag/3KgR8lx, https://herit.ag/3AFbDF4, https://herit.ag/3R3msX4
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Kristian "Kris" Hart and Jerry Trabona
Kristian "Kris" Hart, an Amite City Councilmember, was initially charged by federal authorities with one count of conspiracy to commit vote buying and 2 counts of vote buying and aiding & abetting. Hart conspired with Jerry Trabona, who served as Chief of Police for Amite City from 2005-2020 and sought re-election in 2016, by soliciting individuals to buy votes for them and other candidates they supported in the Tangipahoa Parish 2016 and 2020 Open Primary and General Elections. According to the indictment "Hart and Trabona provided individuals who were buying votes for them and individuals selling their votes with sample ballots and lists of candidate numbers for whom the voters should cast their votes." Hart employed vote buyers to identify individuals who had not yet voted and then take them to the polls to vote and pay them for their vote. In some cases, he transported individuals he paid to vote to and from polling places. Hart and Trabona made the vote-buyers provide a list of the voters they paid, and after receiving the list, would pay the vote-buyer up to $20 for each individual they had paid to vote. Hart pleaded guilty to a one count federal superseding indictment of conspiracy to commit vote buying and three counts of vote buying and aiding & abetting. He is awaiting sentencing.
Source: https://herit.ag/3CszrgO, https://herit.ag/3POPF6W
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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
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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
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Zameahia J. Ismail was charged by the state with one felony count of registering to vote in more than one precinct and with one felony count of voting twice in the 2017 Hennepin County election. She registered and voted in-person in two different precincts in Hennepin County. She voted in St. Louis Park where she actually lives and voted a second time in Minneapolis after being encouraged by an acquaintance to vote for Abi Warsame, a Democrat candidate for Minneapolis City Council. Ismail voted in Minneapolis without having to provide any identification because her acquaintance vouched for her identity. In exchange for the state dismissing the double-voting charge, she agreed to plead guilty to the charge of registering in more than one precinct. Ismail was sentenced to a year in prison and ordered to serve 20 days with the remainder stayed pending successful completion of two years of supervised probation. She also assessed fined and fees totaling $78.
Source: herit.ag/3G3qgEO, herit.ag/3v6Q0K8, herit.ag/3WcRLS8 , herit.ag/3I4JATV
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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
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Jill D. Kelley was charged by the state for voting more than once during the same election, felony offense. During the 2020 presidential primary, Jill Kelley voted once in person and once via absentee ballot, both votes cast in Minnesota. She was convicted of the felony charge, and sentenced to 1 year in jail, which was suspended to two years subject to good behavior. She was placed on probation for two years and assessed $289 in fines and fees.
Source: https://herit.ag/3CxWuq3 , https://herit.ag/3fwcFLt, https://herit.ag/3T0Ah9L
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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
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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
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.”
