Election Fraud Cases

DeWayne Ward

DeWayne Ward, campaign worker for Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of knowingly possessing an absentee ballot with intent to defraud for his involvement in a ballot harvesting scheme during the 2018 Longview City Council Democratic primary election. During that election, Shannon Brown organized a scheme to harvest absentee ballots with help from his wife, Marlena Jackson, Ward, and Charlie Burns Jr. another paid campaign worker, to increase the vote tally in Brown's favor. Ward, working with Brown, Jackson, and another campaign worker, solicited over a hundred mail-in ballots by assisting with absentee ballot applications, misleading voters about the requirements for voting by mail, and in some cases filling out the applications and falsely claiming that such voters were disabled, often without their knowledge or consent. Ward was sentenced to one year in jail, which was suspended to a year's probation, and fined $445.

Source: https://herit.ag/3HXp7gz, https://herit.ag/3LBeQZV , https://herit.ag/3sMrGf3, https://herit.ag/3uSSbSK

Marlena Jackson

Marlena Jackson, wife of Gregg County Commissioner Shannon Brown, pleaded guilty to charges of misdemeanor election fraud. During the 2018 Democratic primary Longview City council election, Jackson's husband Shannon Brown organized a scheme to harvest absentee ballots with help from two paid campaign workers and Jackson to increase the ballots in Brown's favor. Jackson working with Brown and his crew, solicited over a hundred mail-in ballots by assisting with absentee ballot applications, misleading voters about the requirements for voting by mail, and in some cases filling out the applications and falsely claiming that such voters were disabled, often without their knowledge or consent. Marlena was originally charged with close to 100 different felony charges including providing false information on a voting application, election fraud, and tampering with a government record with the intent to defraud or harm. Jackson was sentenced to a year's probation and a $2,445 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/33qzzOJ, https://herit.ag/3oSoH3O , https://herit.ag/3rRxrc7, https://herit.ag/3GVHG3E

Lawrence Klug

Lawrence Klug, was charged with one felony count of providing false information to an election official for casting a vote while not residing in Fond du Lac County during the 2020 general election. He used the address of a UPS Store for his voter registration. He was convicted of one misdemeanor charge of falsifying voter registration and fined $500 in court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/3SV6oIC

Mary Gebert

Mary Gebert, clerk for the town of Bergen in Marathon County, Wisconsin, was charged with one felony count of misconduct in public office, one felony count of election official destroying poll list, and one misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing an officer during the 2020 General Election. Following the election, poll workers were unable to find one of the voter numbers, which they needed to match for accuracy. Gebert signed a random person's name without their knowledge to allegedly resolve the discrepancy. However, the person had moved out of Bergen and had voted in his or her new jurisdiction. Gebert pleaded guilty to one felony count of election official destroying poll list in exchange for dismissal of the other charges and was sentenced to two years of probation, fined $1,000, assessed $788 in court costs, and ordered not to participate in the administration or polling of any election.

Source: https://herit.ag/3tcPPPX, https://herit.ag/46qeQFS

Michael Ray Overall

Michael Ray Overall was charged by the state in St. Croix County with illegal voting, election registration fraud, registering to vote in more than one place, and voting more than once, all felonies, after voting twice in the 2020 General Election. He voted once in person in Beloit, a town in Rock County, and again by absentee ballot in St. Croix County. He was found guilty by a jury of all the charges and ordered to pay a penalty of $4,711.90 plus post-judgment interest and engage in 80 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3EYuqfY, https://herit.ag/3RIR6IF

Donald Holz

Donald Holz of Fond du Lac was charged with one felony count of illegal voting after he voted in the 2020 general election despite having a prior felony conviction, which prohibited him from participating in elections. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to 10 days in jail, fined $500, and ordered to pay court costs.  

Source: https://herit.ag/3c7CZu1

Sam Wells

Sam Wells was charged by the state with one felony count of election fraud registration after registering a P.O. Box in Fond du Lac County as his residential address, despite not living in that county during the 2020 General Election. He pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of falsifying voter registration after the district attorney reduced the charge. Wells was assessed fines and court costs of $831.

Source: https://herit.ag/3X3tq1y , https://herit.ag/3XcJqhC

Jed Dietenberger

Jed Dietenberger was charged by the state with one felony count of illegal voting during a mayoral election and the 2020 presidential primary election. He was accused of registering and voting despite being a convicted felon, and therefore ineligible. Dietenberger pleaded no contest, and was adjudicated guilty, to the charge, and was ordered to pay $815 in fines and court costs. 

Source: https://herit.ag/3rxM1Ve, https://herit.ag/3e4QprI

Jeffrey Testroete

Jeffrey Testroete was charged by the state in Fond du Lac County with one misdemeanor count of election fraud-falsifying voter registration after registering a UPS store as his residential address during the 2020 General Election. Testroete entered into a pretrial diversion program for three months and his charges will be dismissed if he successfully completes the program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3F2daq6, https://herit.ag/3ZUuKWR

Jamie Wells

Jamie Wells was charged by the state with one felony count of election fraud registration after registering a P.O. Box in Fond du Lac County as her residential address, despite not living in that county during the 2020 General Election. She pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of falsifying voter registration after the district attorney reduced the charge. Wells was assessed a fine of $300 plus court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/3GPD5SH, https://herit.ag/3XnvcdN

Christine Daikawa

Christine Daikawa was charged with absentee ballot fraud (a misdemeanor) and attempting to impersonate an elector (a felony) after submitting her dead partner's ballot during the 2020 general election. Daikawa pleaded no contest, and was adjudicated guilty, to both charges and was sentenced to 30 days for the misdemeanor charge and 60 days for the felony which will be served consecutively and ordered to pay $961 in court costs. 

Source: https://herit.ag/3RCOetk, https://herit.ag/3Cy05EF

Markeis Carter

Carter was charged by the state in Fond du Lac County with one felony count of election fraud registration and one misdemeanor count of falsifying voter registration after registering a UPS store as his residential address during the 2020 General Election. Carter entered into a pretrial diversion program for two months and his charges will be dismissed if he successfully completes the program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3LMgFVA, https://herit.ag/3QkURmo

Kathryn Nestor

Kathryn Nestor, of Vienna, was charged with one count of false swearing after signing the names of other registered voters on a mayoral nomination petition during the 2020 Vienna municipal election. Nestor pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to ten days in jail which was suspended, 6 months of probation, and fined $50.

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

Neil Kitchens

Neil Kitchens, a former Republican state assembly candidate, was charged with claiming a false residency for candidacy in the 2018 general election. Kitchens claimed residency in the 30th district, when he actually lived in the neighboring 29th district. Kitchens pleaded no contest to one felony charge of filing a false declaration of candidacy and was sentenced to two years of probation.

Source: bit.ly/3qDBZ21, bit.ly/3cnYvH3

Jan (Wilson) Cummer

Following a bench trial, Jan Wilson was convicted of voting twice by absentee ballot in the Nov. 3, 2020 general election, a misdemeanor offense. Wilson was ordered to pay a $500 fine plus court costs.

Source: https://herit.ag/3f22rzg