Election Fraud Cases

David Cole

David Cole, a Republican member of the Alabama House of Representatives from the 10th District, was charged by the state with one felony count of false registration after falsely claiming he resided in Alabama’s 10th state house district during the 2022 Primary and General Election. He also voted in 2022 in the 10th district even though he lived in District 4. Just before filing, Cole entered into a $5-per-month lease at a home in District 10, which he never occupied, although he registered that as his voting address and had mail sent there. Cole falsely claimed that he sold his District 4 house. Cole's crime came to light during his campaign to represent AL-10 in the state's House of Representatives, but did not conclude until after the election, which Cole won by 973 votes. He pleaded guilty to knowingly voting in a location for which he was not authorized, was sentenced to 60 days in Madison County jail and three years of probation, agreed to resign from his legislative seat,  and was ordered to pay $52,885.79 in restitution (all the money he made while employed as a Representative). A new election was held on December 12, 2023.

Source: herit.ag/47e4toi , herit.ag/479QgIU , herit.ag/3GUPxRw

Elbert Melton

Elbert Melton, the former mayor of Gordon, illegally notarized two ballots, without witnesses present, during the 2016 election in which he was running for mayor. Melton won that race by only 16 votes. Melton was convicted on two counts of absentee ballot fraud, was removed from office, and was sentenced to serve one year in prison followed by two years of probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y8oU5f, https://herit.ag/3xcAQBQ, https://herit.ag/3zImZEW

Brandon Dean

Brandon Dean, who was elected mayor of Brighton, Alabama in 2016, was ordered to vacate the office after a judge determined that 46 fraudulent abentee votes had been cast for him in the 2016 election. Of these ballots, 21 were not signed by the voter, 22 had been sent to Dean's address instead of the voters' homes, 2 absentee ballots were submitted by voters who were actually present at city hall on Election Day, and one did not live in Brighton city limits. Deducting the fraudulent votes dropped Dean's vote total below the threshold needed to avoid a mandatory runoff, which the city of Brighton must now hold.

Source: https://herit.ag/2WlR6DL, https://herit.ag/3x2hFL2

Wetumpka City Council District 2

A judge overturned the preliminary election results and declared Lewis Washington as the winner in a contested Wetumpka City Council District 2 election. On election night, it appeared that Washington's opponent, Percy Gill, who was the incumbent, had won by three votes. Washington challenged the result, and following a trial in which live witnesses and forensics experts testified, the judge threw out eight absentee ballots that had been cast for Gill either because the signatures had been forged or they had not been notarized or signed in front of the requisite number of witnesses, and declared Washington to be the winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/3f4Fv2v, https://herit.ag/377vIV7

Daniel W. Reynolds

Daniel W. Reynolds pleaded guilty to three counts of absentee ballot fraud and was sentenced to two years' probation. Reynolds, the chief campaign volunteer for Commissioner Amos Newsome, participated in falsifying absentee ballots in the Dothan District 2 election between Newsome and his rival Lamesa Danzey in the summer of 2013.

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

Janice Lee Hart

Janice Lee Hart pleaded guilty to eight misdemeanor counts of attempted absentee ballot fraud in connection with misconduct while working on the 2013 campaign for District 2 City Commissioner Amos Newsome. Prosecutors charged that Hart was not present when absentee ballots were signed even though she was listed as a witness on the ballots. In the election, Newsome defeated his challenger by only 14 votes and received 119 out of the 124 absentee ballots cast. A judge sentenced Hart to 12 months in the county jail for each count, which he suspended to two years of probation for each count.

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

Lesa Coleman

A Houston County jury found Lesa Coleman guilty of seven felony counts of absentee ballot fraud related to the 2013 election for a city commission seat. Coleman received a three year split sentence. She will serve 180 days in jail followed by three years of probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/372sHFk, https://herit.ag/3rGpuVM

Olivia Lee Reynolds

Olivia Lee Reynolds was convicted of 24 counts of voter fraud. While working on the 2013 campaign for her boyfriend, Dothan City Commissioner Amos Newsome, Reynolds filled out voters' ballots for them and told others for whom to vote. Her fraud had definite consequences: Commissioner Newsome won reelection by a mere 14 votes, losing the in-person vote by a wide margin but winning an incredible 96 percent of the absentee vote. Newsome himself faced pressure to resign as a consequence. Reynolds was sentenced to serve six months in a community corrections facility. She is appealing the conviction.

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

Venustiano Hernandez-Hernandez

Venustiano Hernandez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant, registered to vote under the name Severo Benavidez in 1984 and voted in the 1996 and 2008 general elections, the 2002 primary election, and special elections in 2003 and 2009. After being deported in 1974, he obtained a false birth certificate, which he used to collect Social Security disability benefits and register to vote. As part of a plea deal, Hernandez-Hernandez admitted to having committed all of the charged conduct, and pleaded guilty to social security fraud and theft of public money (the voter fraud charges were dropped in exchange for his plea to the other charges). Prosecutors surmised that Hernandez-Hernandez received approximately $80,000 in disability payments between 2008 and 2012. As a result of his stolen identity, the real Severo Benevidez was denied Social Security payments. Hernandez-Hernandez was scheduled to be sentenced on December 17, 2012.

Source: https://herit.ag/3x7xLDb, https://herit.ag/3zGwEff

Shelia Pritchett

Shelia Pritchett, of Phenix City, was charged with two counts of second-degree forgery and two counts of absentee ballot fraud stemming from illegal activity while working for a 2012 candidate for municipal office. Pritchett pleaded guilty to all four counts and was sentenced to 22 months of probation, and fined $2,500. A spokeswoman for the Russell County district attorney confirmed the disposition of this case.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l0q530

Stephanie Elias

Stephanie Elias, of Columbus, was charged with four counts of second-degree forgery and four counts of absentee ballot fraud stemming from illegal activity while working for a 2012 candidate for municipal office in Phenix City. Elias pleaded guilty to all eight counts and was sentenced to 22 months of probation, and fined $2,500. A spokeswoman for the Russell County district attorney confirmed confirmed the disposition of this case.

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

Karen Tipton Berry

Ms. Berry pleaded guilty and received a two-year suspended sentence. The former Pike County Commissioner narrowly won--and then lost--her 2008 reelection bid when 10 absentee ballots were found to have been fraudulently cast in the election. Ms. Berry was charged with mailing an illegal absentee ballot.

Source: https://herit.ag/2Va2qT0

Gay Nell Tinker

Gay Nell Tinker, a former circuit clerk for Hale County, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of absentee ballot fraud after her scheme to orchestrate fraudulent absentee ballots for the benefit of multiple candidates was uncovered. She admitted to falsifying the ballots of five voters to benefit certain candidates, including her brother, Circuit Court Judge Marvin Wiggins, and her husband, Senator Bobby Singleton (D_Greensboro).

Source: https://herit.ag/2ZoJOkR, https://herit.ag/3Bsz81z

Valada Paige Banks and Rosie Lyles

Valada Paige Banks and Rosie Lyles pleaded guilty to third-degree possession of a forged affidavit of an absentee ballot with intent to defraud. They both received 12-month suspended sentences and two years of probation and were ordered to pay court fees.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l0pUom

Connie Tyree, Frank "Pinto" Smith, Booker Cooke, Jr., Flephus Hardy, Garria Spencer, Althenia Spencer, Racing Commissioner Lester "Bop" Brown, and Spiver Gordon

The Birmingham Office of the U.S. Attorney and the Alabama Attorney General conducted an extensive joint investigation of absentee ballot fraud allegations in Greene County in the November 1994 election. By the end of the investigation, nine defendants pleaded guilty to voter fraud and two others were found guilty by a jury. The defendants included Greene County commissioners, officials, and employees; a racing commissioner; a member of the board of education; a Eutaw city councilman; and other community leaders. The conspiracy included using an assembly line to mass produce forged absentee ballots meant to swing elections in favor of preferred candidates.

Source: https://herit.ag/3i71R5v