Election Fraud Cases

Steve Watkins

Steve Watkins, a former Republican congressman from Kansas, listed a postal box at a UPS store as his residence on a state voter registration form while living temporarily at his parents’ home during a 2019 municipal election. Watkins was charged with three felonies - voting without being qualified, knowingly voting with more than one advance ballot, and interfering with the investigation intending to obstruct. He entered into a diversion agreement where his prosecution will be deferred for six months. If he complies with the terms of the agreement and pays a $250 fee, the charges will be dropped.

Source: https://herit.ag/2UWDzlV, https://herit.ag/3BJy7mV

Michael Winters

Michael Winters was charged in Gallatin County with one count of deceptive election practices for filling out a voter registration form under the false name "Miguel Raton" - Spanish for Mickey Mouse. Winters combined his driver's license number and Mickey Mouse's birthday to fill out the registration form. But the ID number belonged to a Missoula resident, which Winters said was unintentional, and he didn't know the person. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 6 months in prison, which was suspended in lieu of his completing 100 hours of community service.  He was also assessed fees and costs of $375.

Source: https://herit.ag/40IAtxS, https://herit.ag/40Q6Pa1, https://herit.ag/41FzbVt , https://herit.ag/3ozrQrT

Byron Rene Benavides-Campos

Byron Rene Benavides-Campos was charged by the federal government with naturalization fraud, making a false statement in an immigration proceeding, misuse of legal documents, and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. Byron Rene Benavides-Campos, a citizen from El Salvador and thus ineligible to vote, admitted the conduct and entered into a pretrial diversion program for 12 months. His charges were dropped upon completion of the program.

Source: herit.ag/478ZYeI , herit.ag/3v2JfMM , herit.ag/3tpe2TH

Ole Oisin

Ole Oisin pleaded guilty to two counts of wrongful voting in connection with the February 2020 presidential primary, both Class A misdemeanors under state law. Oisin, a naturalized citizen, submitted false information stating his place of birth as "Senegal, Nation of Islam" when Oisin was born in Ireland. He also submitted an incorrect date of birth and address on his voter registration information. He was sentenced to concurrent terms of 90 days in jail, which were suspended for two years subject to good behavior.  He was also fined $2,000, with $1,000 suspended for two years subject to good behavior. Pursuant to state law, Oisin also lost his right to vote.

Source: https://herit.ag/3fHOx8W , https://herit.ag/3rOmk3b

Irnatine W. Boayue

Irnatine Boayue was charged by the state with one count of illegal voting during the 2016 general election. Boayue registered to vote despite being ineligible as a non-citizen. She pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of attempted false voter registration and was sentenced to one day in the Franklin County Correction Center. The court waived fines and court costs on account of the defendant's indigency.

Source: https://herit.ag/3i69USh, https://herit.ag/3TTpT3D, https://herit.ag/3EyoYQg

Elizabeth Durham

Elizabeth Durham was charged with 5 felonies after attempting to change the voter registration of a deceased West Virginia voter. Durham pleaded no contest to one charge of petit larceny and one charge of unlawful voter registration and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, which was suspended to 6 months of probation.

Source: bit.ly/3qwJ5Yf

April Atilano

April Atilano, of Monterey County, pleaded guilty to 6 counts of felony voter fraud for falsifying voter registration forms. Atilano falsified a number of voter registration cards by changing party affiliation and forging signatures. The forms were submitted to the Madera County Registrar of Voters in July 2019. Atilano was sentenced to one year in prison and three years probation.

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

Richard Davis

Richard Davis, of Pacific Grove, registered four dogs (Pfeiffer, Chantarelle, Rocky, and Cooper) and his deceased father to vote between 2013 and 2018. Davis was charged with voter registration fraud. He pled guilty and was sentenced to three years of probation and 48 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l01oUz , https://herit.ag/3i4URpJ

Jennifer Robinson

Jennifer Robinson, of Canton, falsely registered for an absentee ballot and then voted in 2017 municipal elections.  She was charged with multiple counts of voter fraud and voting by an unqualified person for voting in a precinct in which she no longer resided.  As part of a plea deal, she was admitted to a pre-trial diversion program. 

Source: https://herit.ag/3rEwFh5 , https://herit.ag/3y4jzfo

Spencer McKinnon

Spencer McKinnon, a student studying at the University of New Hampshire, mailed an absentee ballot to his hometown of Dracut, Massachusetts and then registered to vote in Durham, New Hampshire. His attempt to vote twice in the 2016 election was detected thanks to New Hampshire's participating in the Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program. McKinnon pleaded guilty to providing a false statement on a voter registration form, a misdemeanor. He was sentenced to serve six months in a state correctional facility, but that sentence was suspended on the condition that McKinnon pay a $2,000 fine and complete 200 hours of community service. He was also stripped of his right to vote in New Hampshire.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y86rWN, https://herit.ag/3xcAICm, https://herit.ag/3zKbvkf

Reginald Holman

Reginald Holman, of Plymouth, registered to vote in Ashtabula when he actually lived with his parents in Plymouth. He was running for, and won, a position on the City Council in Ashtabula, a position for which he was ineligible. Holman resigned from his position during the investigation. Holman was charged with two counts of election falsification and one count of false voter registration, and he pled guilty to one count of election falsification. He was sentenced to ninety days in jail, which were suspended, one year of probation, and was assessed a $150 fine, plus court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/2UV47DV

Isac Dakuyo

Isac Dakuyo registered to vote online despite being ineligible since he was not a citizen. He then voted in the 2016 general election. He was charged with false swearing, a misdemeanor, for checking off on his voter registration that he was a citizen. He pleaded no contest to the charge and entered a diversion program of supervised probation for one year. After successful completion of the probation, according to the terms of the diversion program, the charges against him will be dismissed.

Source: https://herit.ag/3i7JkGg, https://herit.ag/3l0pZsa, https://herit.ag/3x7S1Vd

Douglas Hornsby

Douglas Hornsby, of Miami-Dade County, was found to have illegally registered and voted, and to have improperly held public office, despite being ineligible due to a prior drug felony. In 1992, Hornsby was convicted in Tennessee of felony cocaine possession. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Florida, where state law required felons to petition to have their rights restored. Nevertheless, when Hornsby filed voting registration paperwork, he indicated that he had no prior record, and, as a result, was able to vote for a quarter-century. He even secured appointment to the North Bay Village Commission. When his prior felony record was exposed, he was remove from office. County officials similarly deemed him ineligible to vote and removed him from the voter rolls.

Source: https://herit.ag/2ZkXSv6

Jennifer Lynn Scott

Jennifer Scott, of Flagler County, is a felon who was ineligible to vote under Florida law. Nevertheless, in 2016, she fraudulently swore she was eligible to vote on her voter registration application and cast a ballot in that election. She was charged with perjury and voting by an unqualified voter, and pleaded no contest. Scott initially was placed on probation for 24 months, but shortly thereafter violated the terms of probation and was sentenced to serve 180 days in the county jail, with a credit of 147 days.

Source: Case No. 2017 CF 000936, https://herit.ag/3zMyxY5, https://herit.ag/3x2hJdK

Victoria Stallings

Victoria Stallings, of Flagler County, was convicted of felonies in 1983, 1994, and 1997. Her voting rights were restored after the first conviction, but not after her subsequent felonies. Nevertheless, she attempted to register to vote in 2008 and was rejected, but succeeded four years later, and was able to cast a ballot in 2016. She was charged with perjury and voting by an unqualified voter, pleaded no contest to the unqualified voting charge. and was sentenced to 24 months of administrative probation (to be shortened if she completed her GED) and ordered to pay $668 in fees.

Source: Case No. 2017 CF 000865 , https://herit.ag/3i4V3VZ, https://herit.ag/3iWan6j