Election Fraud Cases

Charles Nathan Jackson

Charles Nathan Jackson, of Tarrant County, forged the name of a stranger, Mardene Hickerson, on an application for an early voting ballot. Jackson pleaded guilty to providing false information on a voting application, a felony, as part of a plea deal to avoid an enhancement for previous drug and theft offenses. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, and was given credit for time already served.

Source: bit.ly/2YNqBry, bit.ly/2MeoOF9

Kleberg County, TX

A closely contested run-off election for a Justice of Peace seat was overturned by Visiting District Court Judge Joel Johnson, following a two-day hearing. A challenge to the election was filed by Ofelia "Ofie" Gutierrez, the candidate running against long time seatholder, Esequiel "Cheque" De La Paz, for the Justice of the Peace seat in Kleberg County. After a recount narrowed the vote differential to just six votes (312 to 318), seven of the sixteen votes contested by Guiterrez were thrown out by Judge Johnson, because they were cast by relatives of De La Paz who lived outside the Precinct 4 boundaries. A new election was ordered to be held before the end of August.

Source: bit.ly/2zgdbEz, bit.ly/2P4S96y

Kaufman County, TX

In a Republican primary for a seat on the Kaufman County Court, Dennis Jones appeared to beat his challenger Tracy Gray by one vote. Gray challenged the results, claiming that a "vote harvester" had submitted a number of illegal mail-in ballots and that numerous eligible provisional ballots were uncounted. A district judge agreed, invalidating the election results and ordering a new election. The special election was held on July 21 and Tracy Gray prevailed, winning by 404 votes.

Source: bit.ly/2Dg3wCt, bit.ly/2Dg2Xsl, bit.ly/2Dg1yC5

Laura Janeth Garza

Laura Janeth Garza, a Mexican citizen, pleaded guilty to two felony charges of voter impersonation and ineligible voting. Garza stole the identity of her cousin, a US citizen, in order to remain in the United States, and used it to register and vote in multiple elections, including the 2016 presidential election. Garza received a probated 10-year prison sentence, 180 days in jail, and was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. After her jail term is completed, Garza will be deported.

Source: bit.ly/2zrZ9QD, bit.ly/2zj96zG

Mario Obdulio Orellana

Mario Obdulio Orellana, a 57-year-old Salvadoran national, was indicted in June 2018 by the Department of Justice on federal immigration and voter fraud violations. An investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office in the Eastern District of Texas revealed that Orellana illegally entered the United States in the 1980s, falsified documents to obtain a U.S. birth certificate and social security number, and then used these documents to apply for a U.S. passport and register to vote. His five-count indictment included voter fraud charges related to his voting in the November 2016 election. As part of a plea agreement, Orellana pleaded guilty to making false statements in a U.S. passport application in exchange for the other charges being dropped. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Source: bit.ly/2Q8u4Zi, bit.ly/2RtzfD8, bit.ly/2zuOBjJ

City of Mission, TX

Armando O'Cana won a run-off mayoral election in Mission, Texas, unseating longtime holder Norberto 'Beto' Salinas. Salinas contested the results of the election, after strong evidence emerged that O'Cana's campaign was bribing voters, tampering with mail-in ballots, and improperly assisting voters at the polls. After a two week trial during which numerous witnesses testified, Judge J. Bonner Dorsey voided the election stating, 'I hold or find, by clear and convincing evidence, that the number of illegal votes was in excess of 158.' Attorneys for O'Cana are currently appealing the ruling in the 13th Texas Court of Appeals.

Source: bit.ly/2AG1aKA, bit.ly/2OirgqH, bit.ly/2qmTLtT

Miguel Hernandez

Miguel Hernandez visited an elderly woman shortly before the 2017 Dallas City Council election, collected her blank absentee ballot, filled it out, and forged her signature before mailing it back. Hernandez was the first person arrested as part of a larger voter fraud investigation in the Dallas area, stemming from claims by elderly voters that someone was forging their signatures and the return of nearly 700 mail-in ballots all signed by the same witness using a fake name. Hernandez faced a felony illegal voting charge, but pleaded to a lesser misdemeanor offense of "method of returning marked ballot." He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and given credit for time served.

Source: bit.ly/2zaemWj, bit.ly/2zg2yl5

Russ Casey

Russ Casey, a Texas Justice of the Peace, submitted false signatures in order to ensure his place on the Republican primary ballot during his 2018 reelection campaign. Casey withdrew and resigned following the revelation that he had falsified multiple petition signatures and falsely attested to having witnessed the signatures. Casey pleaded guilty to a charge of tampering with a government record, and received a suspended two-year prison sentence and five years of probation.

Source: bit.ly/2zcdz74

Rosita Flores

Rosita Flores, of Robstown, illegally obtained an elderly voter's mail-ballot, filled it out, and cast the ballot without the permission of the voter. Flores pleaded guilty and received a suspended one-year jail sentence, 18 months of probation, and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $316 in court costs. She was also ordered to complete 60 hours of community service and spend 10 consecutive Saturdays in the San Patricio County Jail.

Source: bit.ly/2zcAEGS

Tyron Davis

Tyron Davis, a former constable in Ellis County, Texas, was convicted of six counts of voter fraud for assisting nursing home residents with their mail-in ballots and voter registration applications without identifying his assistance on the ballot. He was also convicted of false identification as a peace officer for having pasted an image of his face onto the body of a peace officer for use on a flier advertising his assistance at the nursing home during his campaign, all before he became an officer. Davis resigned his officer's license to avoid jail time.

Source: bit.ly/2suCVso, bit.ly/2uvrWQN, bit.ly/2tm2NcM

Jeanene Johnson

Jeanene Johnson pleaded guilty to unlawfully depositing a ballot. Johnson assisted Latunia Thomas, a fellow Harris County poll worker, to unlawfully cast a ballot for her daughter, who was not present. Johnson served one day in jail and was released.

Source: bit.ly/2tvfjFi, bit.ly/2sv75vz

Crystal Mason

Rendon, Texas native Crystal Mason voted in the 2016 election despite being a convicted felon. At the time, Mason was out on supervised release following three years' imprisonment on federal tax fraud charges. She claimed she was unaware of her ineligibility, despite signing an affidavit signifying she was not a felon prior to casting a provisional ballot. Mason decided to forego a jury trial, and a judge sentenced her to a five-year prison term for her illegal vote.

Source: bit.ly/2GVJoae, wapo.st/2GUBY74

Latunia Thomas

Latunia Thomas pleaded guilty to unlawfully depositing a ballot. Thomas forged her daughter's signature and cast a ballot in her name although she was not present at the polls. Thomas was assisted by Jeanene Johnson, both poll workers in Harris County, Texas. Thomas was released after serving one day in jail.

Source: bit.ly/2tvfjFi, bit.ly/2sv75vz

Noe Olvera

Noe Olvera pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge. Olvera, a postman, admitted to taking a $1,000 bribe from a paid campaign worker in exchange for a list of the names and addresses of mail-in ballot recipients on his postal route. After a two-year investigation into local voting fraud, hidden camera footage surfaced revealing a uniformed and on-the-job Olvera "negotiating an exchange of money for mail-in voter lists." Olvera was sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison.

Source: bit.ly/2pm8x4P, bit.ly/2ugM506, bit.ly/2pmlJGE

Rosa Maria Ortega

Rosa Maria Ortega, a non-citizen, was found guilty on two counts of voting in the November 2012 general election and the 2014 Republican primary runoff. Ortega claimed she thought she was a citizen and blamed her lack of education for the mix-up, but prosecutors pointed out that Ortega had previously indicated on a drivers license application that she was a non-citizen. A judge sentenced her to eight years' imprisonment, after which she faces the possibility of deportation.

Source: bit.ly/2md3dMU, bit.ly/2kNcL4a, nyti.ms/2lMcoqg