Election Fraud Cases

Bret Warren

Bret Warren, of Casselberry, entered a plea of nolo-contendere to two third-degree felony voter fraud charges. Warren's fraud was uncovered when five residents of Altamonte Springs noted they had not received their absentee ballots for the 2016 presidential election. The ballots had nonetheless been returned, and were filled out and signed. Investigators matched fingerprints on the envelope to Warren through a federal database, and DNA obtained from the envelope also matched Warren. Warren was charged with two counts of felony false swearing in connection with voting or elections, and after pleading nolo-contendere was sentenced to 154 days' imprisonment with credit for time served, and ordered to pay $468 in fees and court costs.

Source: bit.ly/2Db1jWo, bit.ly/2HQqsLQ (Case No. 2018CF001075A)

Gladys Coego

Gladys Coego, a temporary worker in the Miami-Dade County elections department during the November 2016 election, pleaded guilty to filling out the mail-in ballots of other voters in favor of Republican mayoral candidate Raquel Regalado. While she admitted to altering the ballots of at least two individuals, detectives believe that Coego likely fraudulently marked numerous other absentee ballots. She was sentenced to two years of house arrest.

Source: bit.ly/2hmygEr, bit.ly/2w9hoax

Anthony Grant

Former Eatonville Mayor Anthony Grant was convicted of a felony voting fraud charge, a felony election violation, and misdemeanor absentee voting violations. During the 2015 election while he was running for election, he coerced absentee voters to cast ballots for him. In at least one case, Grant personally solicited an absentee vote from a non-resident of Eatonville. Grant, who had previously served as mayor, lost the in-person vote, but still won the election with more than twice the number of absentee ballots than were cast for incumbent Bruce Mount. Following his indictment, Grant was suspended by Florida Governor Rick Scott. He was sentenced to 400 hours of community service and four years' probation.

Source: bit.ly/2sAF7PP, bit.ly/2sQc0dl, bit.ly/2tsZBdr

Deszi Marquis Hayes

Deszi Marquis Hayes, an inmate at the Indian River County Jail, voted by mail from jail during the 2016 election. Hayes was serving a nine-month sentence following a felony traffic conviction, and Florida state law does not permit convicted felons to vote. Nevertheless, Hayes was able to request and cast a ballot because the process to remove him from the voter rolls had not yet been completed.

Source: bit.ly/2jPXH6d, bit.ly/2jOKfzq

Mia Antoinette Nowells

Mia Antoinette Nowells, a campaign worker for former Eatonville Mayor Anthony Grant, was found guilty of coercing Layota Jackson to vote for Grant in the 2015 election. Nowells was charged with intimidating voters and tampering with absentee ballots. She was sentenced to two years' probation and 200 hours of community service.

Source: at.wftv.com/1Usdkv0, bit.ly/2sVEcMp, bit.ly/2sAF7PP

Tomika Curgil

While working for People United for Medical Marijuana, Tomika Curgil submitted at least 15 fake voter registrations - using both fake names and names of the deceased - and five voter registrations which she filled out without the voters' consent. When investigators surveilled Curgil during a registration campaign day, she did not leave her house; however, she still submitted several absentee ballots. She was found guilty and given probation.

Source: bit.ly/2pRIEbx, hrld.us/2J4JWc6

Eric Haynes

Eric Haynes, a Lauderdale Lakes City Commissioner, voted using a false address in the 2012 general election. He had moved to a different precinct before Election Day, but he still certified at the polls that he was living at his former address. He was fined $500 by the Florida Election Commission.

Source: bit.ly/2sVxOVy

William Hazard

William Hazard, 53, of West Boynton, pleaded guilty to one felony voter registration charge and three misdemeanor charges of attempting to submit false voter registration information. He was initially charged with multiple counts of false voter registration. He was sentenced to 10 days in the county jail, 36 months' probation, and was ordered to pay a $7,500 fine. Hazard was hired by a consulting firm to register Republican voters; in the process he illegally switched party registrations for multiple voters and even registered his uncle, an Iowa resident, to vote in Florida.

Source: bit.ly/2fvW7DS

Annique Lesage Newton

Newton, a serial fraudster, was convicted of embezzlement, insurance fraud, and voter fraud, and sentenced to eight years in prison and 15 years' probation after violating her probation stemming from a 2009 case in which she stole $400,000 from her employer. The vote fraud charges stemmed from registering to vote without informing election officials that she was a convicted felon.

Source: bit.ly/2feLP81, bit.ly/2feNaf2, bit.ly/2eedK5d

James Webb Baker

James Webb Baker, of Seattle, pleaded guilty to ID Fraud and intimidation of voters. Responding to perceived suppression of Hispanic voters who favored Democrat candidates, Baker mailed fake county election documents to Palm Beach County, Florida, residents demanding proof of citizenship to avoid having their voter registrations cancelled. Nearly 200 residents were targeted, all with connections to the Republican Party.

Source: bit.ly/2eVhOLE

Deisy Penton de Cabrera

Deisy Cabrera pleaded guilty to charges of being an absentee ballot broker (boletera) as part of a massive absentee voter fraud scheme. Her notebook contained the names and addresses of over 500 voters who were mostly elderly Hispanics in Hialeah. The lists, titled Deisy's Voters, reportedly included information as to whether the voter was illiterate or was blind, deaf, or had Alzheimer's. She was sentenced to one year of probation.

Source: bit.ly/2feMlCZ, bit.ly/2fvSzSc

Jeffrey Garcia

Chief of Staff to Florida Rep. Joe Garcia (D_26), Jeffrey Garcia, resigned and pleaded guilty to orchestrating a plot involving the submission of hundreds of fraudulent absentee-ballot requests during the primary in 2012. Garcia was sentenced to 90 days in prison and 18 months' probation. He was ordered to spend the first three months of probation under house arrest.

Source: bit.ly/2f1x2MN

Onakia Lanet Griffin

Onakia Lanet Griffin, a convicted felon who was not eligible to vote, was convicted of two counts of voter fraud and one count of false swearing. Griffin had previously been convicted of wire fraud, identification theft, and identity fraud. Griffin registered to vote on June 5, 2012, and falsely claimed that she was not a convicted felon. She subsequently admitted to voting in the 2012 presidential election. Griffin was sentenced to a fine of $1079.50 and 23 days' incarceration.

Source: bit.ly/2pAa7ke, bit.ly/2poDLbb, bit.ly/2qfmUoC

Rebekah Joy Paul

Rebekah Joy Paul pleaded guilty to falsifying voter registrations prior to the 2012 general election. While employed as a voter registration worker with a political consulting firm hired by the Republican Party, she created false voter registrations. She and her co-conspirator admitted to faking 27 registrations for Duval County. She was sentenced to community service.

Source: pbpo.st/2sTqE4A

Christian David Price

Christian David Price, a campaign worker in Florida, pleaded guilty to falsifying voter registrations in the 2012 election. While employed as voter registration worker with a political consulting firm hired by the Republican Party, he created false voter registrations. He and his co-conspirator admitted to faking 27 registrations for Duval County. He was sentenced to community service.

Source: pbpo.st/2sTqE4A