Election Fraud Cases

Elva Gutierrez Lazo

Elva Gutierrez Lazo, a former Duval County precinct secretary, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2006 primary election. Lazo and others helped voters to register to receive absentee ballots by falsely claiming they were disabled. She later returned to collect and mail the absentee votes. Lazo received one year of deferred adjudication and one year of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/2Wi1pc0, https://herit.ag/3ycCLrp

Lydia Molina

Lydia Molina, then-Treasurer for Duval County, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2006 primary election. Molina and others helped voters to register to receive absentee ballots by falsely claiming they were disabled. She later returned to collect and mail the absentee votes. Molina received one year of deferred adjudication and one year of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/370awjQ, https://herit.ag/3rDeQPh

Oscar Rios

Oscar Rios pleaded guilty to 12 counts of illegally possessing a ballot without a voter's consent. Rios was involved in a scheme to register phony voters at vacant lots in an effort to receive and submit a large number of mail-in ballots for the 2006 Democratic Primary. He was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication, two years of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y3Bxi9, https://herit.ag/3zFrFeJ

Mark Littlefield

Mark Littlefield, of Hays County, was charged with one count of illegal possession of a forged instrument stemming from forgery and document tampering conducted during a 2006 special election. He was admitted to a one-year pretrial diversion program, and was ordered to make a $300 donation.

Source: Case No. 89, 298 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas)

Maria Soriano

Maria Soriano, then-head of the Duval Welfare Department, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2006 primary election. Soriano and others helped voters register to receive absentee ballots by falsely claiming they were disabled. She later returned to collect and mail the absentee votes. Soriano received one year of deferred adjudication and one year of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/2VdbWVA, https://herit.ag/378DL3K

Maria Adelina Trigo

Maria Adelina Trigo, a former Duval County welfare clerk, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing a ballot that was not her own during the 2006 primary election. Trigo and others helped voters to register to receive absentee ballots by falsely claiming they were disabled. Trigo later returned to collect and mail the absentee vote. She received one year of deferred adjudication and one year of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/2UTvAGe

Todd Stuart McGuire

Todd Stuart McGuire, of Port Townsend, was ordered to participate in a diversion program that includes five years of supervision. McGuire cast a ballot in his wife's name in a 2007 special election. He agreed to an order that "facts sufficient for a guilty" finding existed in his case. McGuire was barred from voting during the five-year supervision period.

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

James Bryant, Jr.

James Bryant, Jr. admitted to improperly assisting voters in completing their absentee ballots in the 2005 Americus mayoral election. Bryant was a candidate in that election, and on at least six occasions, he helped voters fill out information on their ballot mailers without signing the requisite oath indicating he had provided the assistance. He was ordered by the State Election Board to pay a $600 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/2WrcMyx

Jerry Metts

Jerry Metts was investigated for helping illegal aliens cast absentee ballots in Atkinson County during a 2004 county commission election. He was fined $80,000 by the State Election Board.

Source: https://herit.ag/3i5A05t

Tonya Griffin-Bronaugh

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

Allan "Twig" Simmons

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

Edward Pinkney

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

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

Ike Brown

In a civil case filed by the federal government, Ike Brown, former Chairman of the Noxubee County Democratic Executive Committee and Superintendent of Democratic Primary Elections, was found to have violated Section Two of the Voting Rights Act through racially motivated manipulation of ballots. Brown, who started chairing the Commission in 2000, obtained and improperly counted defective absentee ballots, and allowed for improper "assistance" of voters to ensure that white political candidates lost and black candidates won. He was permanently enjoined from engaging in such conduct in the future, and an independent administrator was appointed to ensure compliance.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iOfZzE , https://herit.ag/3i8YZoQ, https://herit.ag/3l6sp8L

Raymond Villarreal

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