Election Fraud Cases

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

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)

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

Trinidad Villalobos

Trinidad Villalobos was convicted by a jury of illegally possessing and transporting ballots belonging to multiple voters during the 2004 primary. According to witnesses, Villalobos offered to assist elderly voters fill out applications for absentee ballots and would later collect and mail those ballots. Unauthorized possession of ballots is a misdemeanor under Texas law. Villalobos received six months of probation for each charge.

Source: https://herit.ag/3x9300o

Virginia Ramos Garza

Virginia Ramos Garza, of Nueces County, was charged with four counts of "possessing an official ballot or carrier envelope of another." In a 2005 school district election, she targeted the elderly by going door-to-door to obtain votes, and then took the ballots to the post office for mailing. She was admitted into a one-year pretrial diversion program, which included 12 months of community supervision. Garza conspired to engage in vote harvesting with Elida Garza Flores, Isabel Rios Gonzalez, and Josefina Marinas Suarez, all of whom were charged and ultimately admitted into diversion programs or received deferred adjudications.

Source: Case No. 05-CR-9806-4 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas), bit.ly/2GT3PVA

Anita Baeza

Anita Baeza was given six months of pre-trial diversion after she was charged with five counts of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2004 primary.

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

Elida Garza Flores

Elida Garza Flores, of Nueces County, was charged with one count of "possessing of an official ballot or carrier envelope of another." In a 2005 school district election, she targeted the elderly by going door-to-door to obtain votes, and then took the ballots to the post office for mailing. She was admitted into a one-year pretrial diversion program, which included 12 months of community supervision. She conspired to engage in vote harvesting with Virginia Ramos Garza, Isabel Rios Gonzalez, and Josefina Marinas Suarez, all of whom were charged and ultimately admitted into diversion programs or received deferred adjudications.

Source: Case No. 05-CR-9805-4 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas), bit.ly/2GT3PVA

Willie J. Ray, Jamillah Johnson

Willie Ray, a Texarkana Ward 2 City Councilwoman, and Jamillah Johnson pleaded guilty to fraudulent use of absentee ballots during the 2004 general election. The two women illegally assisted elderly and other voters in submitting applications for mail-in ballots, then collected and mailed in the completed ballots for the voters. This assistance is a Class B misdemeanor under Texas law. The judge fined Willie Ray $200 and sentenced her to eight months of probation. Jamillah Johnson received a $200 fine and six months of probation.

Source: bit.ly/2fcgEMG, bit.ly/2f26dIi

Isabel Rios Gonzalez

Isabel Rios Gonzalez, of Nueces County, entered a plea of nolo contendere to two counts of "possessing of an official ballot or carrier envelope of another." In a 2005 school district election, she targeted the elderly by going door-to-door to obtain votes, and then took the ballots to the post office for mailing. She was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication, 12 months of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. She conspired to engage in vote harvesting with Virginia Ramos Garza, Elida Garza Flores, and Josefina Marinas Suarez, all of whom were charged and ultimately admitted into diversion programs or received deferred adjudications.

Source: Case No. 05-CR-9808-3 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas), bit.ly/2GT3PVA

Melinda Hunter

Melinda Hunter was indicted on seven counts of illegally possessing and transporting ballots not belonging to her. Hunter illegally assisted elderly voters in preparing their ballots. She was placed in a six-month pre-trial diversion program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l1INHv

Josefina Marinas Suarez

Josefina Marinas Suarez pleaded guilty to a charge of handling an official ballot belonging to another. During the 2005 Robstown school district election Suarez targeted elderly voters, soliciting votes and returning the absentee ballots herself. Under Texas law, she was not permitted to handle or transport absentee ballots. Suarez was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication probation and a $500 fine.

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

Melva Kay Ponce

Melva Kay Ponce was convicted for mailing in an absentee ballot for her deceased mother in the November 2004 general election. She pleaded guilty to one charge of illegal voter registration and was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/2WlQZrP, https://herit.ag/3x92VK8

Johnny Wayne Akers

Johnny Wayne Akers, of Hardeman County, was charged with six counts of "possession of an official ballot or carrier envelope of another" for engaging in vote harvesting activities during a 2004 primary election in Texas. He pleaded guilty to possession of an official ballot, and was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.

Source: Case No. 013449 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas)