Election Fraud Cases

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Prosecutors charged Graciela Sanchez with four misdemeanor counts of violating election law in an effort to assist Guadalupe Rivera win re-election to the post of Weslaco city commissioner in 2013. Rivera and Sanchez were found to have illegally "assisted" absentee ballot voters. The results of the election were disputed, and a judge determined that 30 ballots had been illegally cast in an election decided by only 16 votes. Sanchez pleaded guilty and received two years' probation.

Guadalupe Rivera, a former Weslaco city commissioner, pleaded guilty to one count of providing illegal "assistance" to a voter by filling out an absentee ballot "in a way other than the way the voter directed or without direction from the voter." The fraud took place during Rivera's 2013 re-election bid, which he won by a scant 16 votes. His challenger sued alleging fraud, and a judge determined that 30 ballots had been illegally cast, enough to alter the outcome of the election. A new election was subsequently held, and Rivera lost. Rivera originally faced 16 election-related charges, 15 of which were dropped as part of his plea deal. He was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine.

In the Donna School Board race, four campaign workers participated in a scheme that involved buying votes with cocaine, cash, beer, and cigarettes. All four pleaded guilty; Garcia received an 18-month sentence, and Castaneda received an eight-month sentence with credit for cooperating against her co-defendants.

Hazel Woodard, a Democratic Precinct Chairwoman candidate in Fort Worth, was concerned that her husband would not make it to the polls to vote, so she had her teenage son vote for him. The impersonation went undetected until the husband went to the polls later that day and tried to cast a second ballot in his name. Hazel was indicted for impersonation fraud at the polls, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication probation.

Richard Alan Collier pleaded guilty to attempting to vote twice in the November 2012 general election, in both Minnesota and Texas. He requested and submitted absentee ballots in both states. Galveston County officials were alerted to Collier's illegal behavior when they were tipped off about a Facebook post in which Collier admitted to double voting. Collier 's misdemeanor conviction earned him a $4,000 fine.

Former Dallas County Justice of the Peace, Carlos Medrano, was convicted on one count of illegal voting. A grand jury had indicted him for two counts of soliciting votes of non-resident family members in his election for justice of the peace. He was sentenced to serve 180 days in jail, five years on probation, and fined $2,500.

Two campaign workers pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Texas for paying voters to vote in two 2012 elections in Hidalgo County, Texas. In an elaborate vote-buying scheme, Belina Solis and Veronica Saldivar offered "baggies" of cocaine and money in exchange for votes for local and county candidates. After an extensive FBI investigation, they both pleaded guilty to one count of vote-buying.

Adrian Heath, Sybil Doyle, and Roberta Cook were convicted of voting on a referendum about whether the Woodlands Road Utility District could raise taxes to cover municipal debt, even though none of them were residents in the district. The election results were subsequently overturned. Heath was sentenced to a three-year prison sentence and a fine of $10,000; Cook and Doyle each received three-year prison sentences, five years' probation, and fines of $5,000.

Lorenzo Antonio Almanza, of Progreso, was convicted of voting twice in Progreso's 2009 school board election, once in his own name and once using his incarcerated brother's name. Almanza was sentenced to two years' imprisonment and five years of probation.

Fermina Castillo pleaded guilty to one count of illegal felon voting in the 2010 general election. She was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication and community supervision and was ordered to pay a $100 fine.

Margarita Rangel Ozuna pleaded no contest to illegally assisting Ricardo Liceaga Alonso in voting in 2010. She prepared his ballot without his direction, and then deposited his carrier envelope without providing the proper information on the envelope. Ozuna received a sentence of probation.

Magdalena Robledo Rodriguez pleaded guilty to illegal voting for falsely listing an address during the 2010 election in Alton. Rodriguez changed her registration to an address belonging to Jose Picasso, one of the candidates in the Alton mayoral election. Rodriguez was sentenced to deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay a $250 fine.

Martha Estella Rodriguez, of Mission, pleaded guilty to voting in the 2010 election in nearby Alton, despite not living in that city. According to officials, Rodriguez changed her registration to an address belonging to Jose Picasso, one of the candidates in the Alton mayoral election. Records indicated that at least 23 others did the same prior to voting. Rodriguez was sentenced to serve one day in jail, two years of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Sonia Solis pleaded guilty to voting five times under five different names in the 2012 primary runoff election. She committed her fraud using absentee ballots. She was sentenced to six months of home confinement and five years' probation.

Jacob Barac pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges after admitting that he signed a voter application attesting to his citizenship despite his permanent resident status, which made him ineligible to vote. Barac claimed that he had requested the ballot so that his roommate could vote, and then filled it out himself. He was sentenced to five years of supervised probation and 40 hours of community service.

Gilda Hernandez pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful assistance, two counts of illegal possession of a ballot, and two counts of failure to provide identifying information while assisting a voter. Hernandez was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication and a $250 fine.

Christine Thomas Shank, of Brazos County, pleaded guilty to unlawful assistance at the polls in the 2010 general election. She was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication. Shank was placed under community supervision and was ordered to complete 20 hours of community service and pay a $500 fine and $332 in court costs. Shank was also barred from offering any future "assistance" to voters.

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Carlos Medrano was found guilty of one count of illegal voting for persuading a niece to register to vote using an address where she did not reside. Medrano was sentenced to 180 days' incarceration.

Almanza was charged with illegal voting and voter impersonation in a 2009 school district election. Almanza and one of her sons cast votes at a polling place. Later, Almanza brought her son back to the polls, where he cast a vote in the name of his incarcerated brother. She received a two-year suspended sentence, five years' probation, 90 days in county jail, and court costs.

Ronald Marsh pleaded guilty to illegally voting in the 2009 Smith County Municipal Election. He received four years' deferred adjudication, and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and complete 100 hours of community service.

Delores McMillian, a poll worker in Dallas, pleaded guilty to trying to vote using another person's voter registration information in the 2010 primary election. Another poll worker prevented her from casting a falsified ballot. She was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay $227 in court costs.

Regino Cantu Salinas pleaded guilty to voting illegally in the 2008 primary election. Salinas was a convicted felon and therefore ineligible to vote. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail, two years' probation, and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.

Andrea Campos Bierstedt, a former member of the Freer City Council, was given pre-trial diversion after she was charged with illegally possessing a ballot belonging to another voter and "assisting" in filling it out. She was also ordered to pay a $3,500 donation to the county.

Zaida Cantu Bueno, a politiquera in South Texas, pleaded guilty to absentee ballot fraud. Bueno was involved in vote-harvesting schemes in which she would illegally "assist" voters in filling out absentee ballots. Bueno received a 180-day suspended jail sentence and one year of probation, and was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay a $200 fine.

Maria Mendoza Garcia was given a 12-month pre-trial diversion after she was charged with seven counts of knowingly providing false information on an application to receive an early voting ballot. In addition, she was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and pay a $60 supervision fee.

Ruben Trevino Garcia pleaded guilty to voting illegally in a 2008 school district election. Garcia was a convicted felon and therefore ineligible to vote. He received a suspended sentence of eight years' imprisonment in a Texas correctional facility, was placed under community supervision for eight years, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Christina Lichtenberger pleaded guilty to illegally possessing an absentee ballot belonging to another voter and illegally "assisting" in filling it out. Lichtenberger received one year of deferred adjudication, and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and court costs.

Cynthia Lopez, of Live Oak County, pleaded guilty to one count of absentee ballot fraud after she unlawfully possessed other voters' absentee ballots in the 2008 primary election. She was sentenced to a 180-day suspended sentence, one year of probation, and was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay a $200 fine.

Norma Lopez, of Live Oak County, Texas, pleaded guilty to absentee ballot fraud after she unlawfully collected other voters' absentee ballots during the 2008 primary election. She was sentenced to a 180-day suspended jail sentence, one year of probation, and was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay a $200 fine.

Raul Pena Jr., Starr County Commissioner, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges that he illegally returned a marked ballot and that he mailed a ballot belonging to another vote. The charges stem from an incident in which Pena delivered 56 ballots to a local post office. Postal officials found it suspicious that Pena possessed so many ballots, yet none were signed by Pena as the law requires of those who assist voters. He was sentenced to six months of community supervision, received a 180 day suspended jail sentence, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Alicia Pena Perez, a former Freer municipal judge, pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful assistance and four counts of possession of a ballot. During the 2008 primary election, Perez took possession of ballots that did not belong to her and illegally prepared them. She received one year of probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs.

Estela Cruz Saenz was given a six month pre-trial diversion after she was charged with seven counts of knowingly providing false information in order to obtain an early-voting ballot. In addition to the diversion program, Saenz was ordered to pay a $60 supervision fee.

Jack Carol Crowder pleaded guilty to one count of fraudulent use of identifying information. Crowder impersonated his deceased father in the 2008 Democratic primary in Harris County. Crowder used his father's registration card to cast a ballot in his name. He was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication and ordered to pay a $200 fine.

Oralia Frausto was sentenced for his role in a scheme that involved registering fake voters to vacant lots during the 2006 Democratic Primary. The goal was to submit a large number of mail-in ballots. He received a pre-trial diversion.

Maria Gonzalez was sentenced for her role in a scheme that involved registering fake voters to vacant lots during the 2006 Democratic Primary. The goal was to submit a large number of mail-in ballots. She received pre-trial diversion.

Elizabeth Martinez pleaded guilty to voting illegally in a 2007 municipal election. Martinez, a convicted felon, was ineligible to vote. She was sentenced to five years' imprisonment in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice corrections facility.

Paulito Nilo pleaded guilty to one count of voting despite being a felon. Nilo cast his illegal vote in the 2008 municipal election. He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, probated to five years of community supervision. He served one day in jail and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Cynthia Pena pleaded guilty to one count of illegal voting. Pena, a convicted felon, voted in a 2007 municipal and school election despite being ineligible. She received a suspended 10-year prison sentence, four years of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Raul Reyna pleaded guilty to one count of illegal voting. Reyna, a convicted felon, voted in a 2007 municipal and school election despite being ineligible. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice corrections facility and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Guadalupe Rios pleaded guilty to eleven counts of illegally possessing a ballot without the voter's consent. She was sentenced to 60 days' house arrest, four years of probation, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Elva Gutierrez Lazo, a former Duval County precinct secretary, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2006 primary election. Lazo and others helped voters to register to receive absentee ballots by falsely claiming they were disabled. She later returned to collect and mail the absentee votes. Lazo received one year of deferred adjudication and one year of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Jose Rene Gomez pleaded guilty to one count of illegal voting. Gomez was implicated in a scheme to register phony voters at vacant lots in an effort to receive and submit a large number of mail-in ballots for the 2006 Democratic Primary. Gomez was also charged with voting twice in that election. He was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication, two years of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Lydia Molina, then-Treasurer for Duval County, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2006 primary election. Molina and others helped voters to register to receive absentee ballots by falsely claiming they were disabled. She later returned to collect and mail the absentee votes. Molina received one year of deferred adjudication and one year of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Oscar Rios pleaded guilty to 12 counts of illegally possessing a ballot without a voter's consent. Rios was involved in a scheme to register phony voters at vacant lots in an effort to receive and submit a large number of mail-in ballots for the 2006 Democratic Primary. He was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication, two years of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

Maria Soriano, then-head of the Duval Welfare Department, pleaded guilty to one count of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2006 primary election. Soriano and others helped voters register to receive absentee ballots by falsely claiming they were disabled. She later returned to collect and mail the absentee votes. Soriano received one year of deferred adjudication and one year of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $300 fine.

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.

A former Port Lavaca city councilwoman was sentenced to five years in prison for registering non-citizens to vote and tampering with government documents. During the trial, she acknowledged that she did not ask registrants about their citizenship, nor did she inform them that only United States citizens are eligible to vote. Illegal voting is a third-degree felony.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Following an investigation by the Texas Attorney General's office, Facunda Garcia was charged along with five others, for illegal assistance at the polls during the 2012 Democratic primary runoff election. She pleaded guilty to filling out the ballot for a female voter without that voter's direction to do so. Garcia was sentenced to three days in jail, but was given credit for time served; court costs and fees were waived.

Following an investigation by the Texas Attorney General's office, Tomasa Ramirez Chavez was charged with engaging in election fraud, along with five others during the 2012 Democratic Primary runoff election. She pleaded guilty to illegal "assistance" at the polls and was sentenced to a suspended sentence of six months' jail time and required to complete one year community supervision and to pay a $250 fine.

Following an investigation by the Texas Attorney General's office, Vicenta Guajardo Verino was charged with engaging in election fraud, along with five others during the 2012 Democratic Primary runoff election. After admitting that he provided illegal 'assistance' at the polls, Verino entered into a deferred adjudication agreement. She was required to complete 12 months' supervised probation and ordered to pay a fine of $250.

Following an investigation by the Texas Attorney General's office, Margarita Rangel Ozuna was charged with engaging in election fraud, along with five others during the 2012 Democratic Primary runoff election. Ozuna pleaded guilty to charges of fraudulent use of absentee ballots and was sentenced to serve 15 days in Cameron County jail and required to pay a $250 fine. This was the second time that Ozuna was convicted of voter fraud. In 2013, she was convicted of felony voter fraud stemming from the 2010 election.

Following an investigation by the Texas Attorney General's office, Sara Virginia Perales was charged with engaging in election fraud, along with five others during the 2012 Democratic Primary runoff election. After admitting that she falsified absentee ballots, Perales entered into a deferred adjudication agreement. She was required to complete 12 months' probation and pay a $150 fine, in addition to being barred from engaging in voting activities.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Armando O'Ca'a 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'Ca'a'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'Ca'a are currently appealing the ruling in the 13th Texas Court of Appeals.