Election Fraud Cases

Rafael Antonio Velasquez

Rafael Antonio Velasquez, a former candidate for the Florida House, was convicted in 2003 for having voted twice before he became a U.S. citizen.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zH4Yad, https://herit.ag/2VispaI

Dolores Croy

Dolores Croy pleaded guilty to voter fraud during the 2003 Democratic Primary in East Chicago, Indiana. She and her husband registered to vote and sent absentee ballots to the East Chicago voting district, using their business address. The couple's home address was actually in Hobart. Although both charges were Class D felonies, the charges were drastically reduced, and the couple only had to make a public apology and serve probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iOfTrM, https://herit.ag/3i5WG5C

Robert Croy

Robert Croy pleaded guilty to voter fraud during the 2003 Democratic Primary in East Chicago, Indiana. He and his wife registered to vote and sent absentee ballots to the East Chicago voting district, using their business address. The couple's home address was actually in Hobart, IN. Although both charges were class D felonies, the charges were drastically reduced and the couple only had to make a public apology and serve probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iOfTrM, https://herit.ag/3i5WG5C

Valerie McGowan

Valerie McGowan pleaded guilty to one felony count of "voting in other precinct" during the ultimately-overturned 2003 East Chicago Mayoral election. McGowan was involved in a massive fraud scheme, and ultimately the results of the election overturned. She initially faced other charges, including fraudulent application for a ballot and perjury, which were dropped as part of her plea agreement. McGowan was sentenced to 18 months of probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3f4FbRl

Michelle Chandler

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

Glenn Pitts

Glenn Pitts pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of failure to cast or return a ballot in an authorized manner in connection with the overturned 2003 East Chicago Democratic mayoral primary. Pitts originally claimed that he had been offered $30 in order to hand his ballot to another individual. He initially faced a multitude of charges, including perjury, false application for a ballot, and voting in another precinct, which were dismissed as part of his plea agreement. He was sentenced to 139 days in county jail.

Source: https://herit.ag/375WKMo

Donnie Newsome

Knott County Judge-Executive Donnie Newsome was convicted of conspiracy to buy votes and vote buying in the May 1998 Knott County primary election. He was sentenced to 26 months in prison and fined $20,000.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zHp5oF

Willard Smith

Willard Smith was convicted of conspiracy to buy votes and vote buying in the May 1998 Knott County primary election. He was accused of paying impoverished, handicapped, illiterate, or otherwise impaired persons to vote for Knott County Judge-Executive Donnie Newsome by absentee ballot. Smith was sentenced to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/2XLMGqR, https://herit.ag/3BPBIzN

Tyrell Matthews Braud

Tyrell Matthews Braud pleaded guilty to federal charges of making false statements to a grand jury in connection with his 2002 fabrication of 11 voter registration applications.

Source: https://herit.ag/375VMjf

Elberta Brown, Leon Hunt, and Tobe Jackson

Elberta Brown, Leon Hunt, and Tobe Jackson pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted bribery in connection with their involvement in a vote-buying scheme surrounding a 2001 special election for Benton County Sheriff. All three engaged in vote-buying by offering $30 to individuals in an attempt to influence them to vote for Steven A. Thompson, a candidate in that election. Three of the individuals who received the money were undercover law enforcement officers. The investigations indicated that they tried to bribe upwards of 50 people on election day. All three faced a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $3,000 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/3BLm2xE

Joshua Workman

Joshua Workman, a Canadian citizen who was one of the youngest delegates to the 2000 Republican National Convention, was charged by the Department of Justice with casting ineligible votes during the 2000 and 2002 primary and general elections in Avery County. He made false statements claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote. As part of a plea agreement, Workman pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge of providing false information to election officials and subsequently returned to Canada.

Source: https://herit.ag/2UTbYSA, bit.ly/2fmg7FW

Ronald Callaway

Ronald Callaway, also known as Jihad Q. Abdullah, and related to the infamous Atlantic City Callaway Political Organization, pleaded guilty to voting nine times in four elections. He was sentenced to one year in jail.

Source: https://herit.ag/3EAcmHv, https://herit.ag/3Aq8CGk

Terence John Finch

Terence John Finch pleaded guilty to unqualified voting. He voted in Oregon for several years while not a U.S. citizen. He was sentenced to probation, 80 hours' community service, and fined $1,000.

Source: https://herit.ag/3eZZf7i

Mark Cosentino

Mark Cosentino pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful voting. Cosentino registered to vote, and voted, in his childhood hometown despite not living there. He was sentenced to six months' probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3x2sZ9W, https://herit.ag/3zIBQiU, https://herit.ag/39iPePA

Nathaniel Gosha and Lizzie Mae Perry

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