Election Fraud Cases

Tamika Lay

Tamika Lay pleaded guilty to voting in a precinct in which she did not live for the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. Though she initially called the errant vote a mistake, Lay eventually admitted that she wanted to cast a vote for her brother, Terrance Lay, who was a city council candidate for a different precinct. Lay was sentenced to one year of probation. At her sentencing hearing, she expressed frustration to the judge at being held accountable for her fraudulent act. She said, "People have been doing [fraudulently voting] for years, and all of a sudden they want to do something about it." Fraud in this 2003 primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral primary that resulted in a different winner.

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

Demetreos Hasapis

Demetreos Hasapis, an East Chicago Fire Department captain, was convicted of voting outside the precinct in which he lived for the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. He was sentenced to a 60-day jail sentence in the Lake County jail and 60 days' probation. Fraud in this 2003 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/370beO2

Antonio and Alycia Mendiola

Antonio and Alycia Mendiola pleaded guilty to voting in a precinct where they did not live during the 2003 East Chicago Democratic mayoral primary. Both were 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 that resulted in a different winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/2TBzS4i

Eduardo Perez, Sr.

Eduardo Perez, Sr., pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving an absentee ballot in connection to the 2003 East Chicago mayoral Democrat primary. He 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 that resulted in a different winner.

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

Larry Battle

Larry Battle was convicted of voting in a precinct in which he did not live for the 2003 East Chicago mayoral Democratic primary election. Battle had a history of "crimes of dishonesty," prompting the judge--unpersuaded by Battle's "everybody was doing it" defense--to sentence him to two years in prison. 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/3zENhbg

Michelle Robinson

Michelle Robinson pleaded guilty to 13 counts of election law violations in connection with a fraudulent voter registration scheme. Robinson worked for Operation Big Vote, an initiative aimed at boosting the participation of black voters in the 2001 St. Louis mayoral election. She submitted 13 voter registration cards made out in the names of dead former city aldermen. Robinson was simultaneously convicted on drug charges and her combined sentence was four years of probation, 180 hours of community service, and mandatory training in transcendental meditation.

Source: bit.ly/2fgTJ08

Clyde Gerbeck

Clyde Gerbeck of Syracuse, New York pleaded guilty to voting twice in a 2005 primary election and received a conditional discharge sentence.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l1MZav

Richard Saint Angel

Richard Saint Angel pleaded guilty to several offenses under New York State Penal Law in relation to hundreds of forged petition signatures provided to the Dutchess County Board of Elections in an attempt to make it on to the ballot as a candidate for Town Supervisor in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was sentenced to one year in jail.

Source: https://herit.ag/2Va2sKC

Ricky Graybael

Ricky Graybael pleaded guilty to one charge of voting more than once in an election. He was sentenced to 24 months' probation, and was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and pay $67 in court fees.

Source: https://herit.ag/37iNLrD , (Case #06FE0061)

Leanne Lewis

Leanne Lewis pleaded guilty to being registered and voting in both Columbia County and Washington County during elections in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She was sentenced to 36 months' probation, 40 hours' community service, and fined $857.

Source: https://herit.ag/3i7sbw9

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

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

Maria Dora Flores

Maria Dora Flores pleaded guilty to engaging in illegal "assistance" at the polls during the 2006 Democratic primary election. Prosecutors charged that Flores escorted several voters into their polling locations and then filled out and submitted ballots without their consent. The judge sentenced Flores to a $750 fine and two years of deferred probation. In a statement discussing the case, then Attorney General Greg Abbott remarked that, "Those who perpetrate voter fraud are victimizing and intimidating the elderly. This violates the law and is simply another form of elder abuse."

Source: https://herit.ag/3i8Z0sU, https://herit.ag/3l35ZW8

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

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