Election Fraud Cases

John Fernandez, Edwin Cruz, and Rocio Rivera

Rocio Rivera and Edwin Cruz were indicted for tampering with ballots and fraudulently submitting ballots in favor of New Jersey Senator Teresa Ruiz. They and a fellow co-conspirator obtained messenger ballots from the county clerk and submitted them to the board of elections as votes on behalf of voters who, in fact, never received or filled out their ballots. John Fernandez was convicted of conspiracy (2nd degree), election fraud (2nd degree), absentee ballot fraud (3rd degree), tampering with public records or information (3rd degree), and forgery (4th degree). Cruz pleaded guilty to third-degree tampering with public records or information, and Rivera pleaded guilty to third-degree absentee ballot fraud.

Source: https://herit.ag/3x2taC8

Michele Finney

Michele Finney, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to voter fraud in the 2008 election. Finney had signed her son's absentee ballot and voted herself. She was sentenced to 180 days' imprisonment, which would be suspended if she paid the $1000 fine within three months.

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

Cathy LaMaster

Cathy LaMaster pleaded guilty to attempted false election registration. She filled out an absentee ballot for herself in Franklin County, and filled another out for her daughter in Guernsey County, where she goes to school. LaMaster was fined $1,000 and sentenced to one year on probation with a suspended six-month jail sentence.

Source: https://herit.ag/3EzxkGD, https://herit.ag/2TBqrSs, https://herit.ag/3hS6FLA

Guadalupe Rios

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.

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

Susan Risenhoover

Susan Risenhoover pleaded guilty to forging the signature of her son (who had moved to Texas) on an absentee ballot and then submitting it in connection with the 2008 election. She was sentenced to 40 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3f2SIJc

Stephen Wroblewski

Stephen Wroblewski pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of Providing False Information to Obtain an Absentee Ballot. Wroblewski illegally procured a ballot in order to vote in the 2008 election in the name of his wife, a Democrat activist who had recently passed away. He was given a $500 fine.

Source: bit.ly/2ttqcaq, bit.ly/2tNN0Rv

Ponciano Herrera

Ponciano Herrera, a Lake County police officer, pleaded guilty to handling a forged absentee ballot in the 2003 East Chicago Democratic mayoral primary election. Herrera was sentenced to 90 days of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election that resulted in a different winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/375WJrO

Ronald DeCastro

Ronald DeCastro, an East Chicago police officer, pleaded guilty to a charge of voter fraud in connection with his misconduct during the 2003 East Chicago Democratic mayoral primary election. He did not live in East Chicago, so he used the address of his uncle in order to cast an absentee ballot in the election. DeCastro received a 60-day suspended jail sentence and was sentenced to 60 days of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election that resulted in a different winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zBAeHq, https://herit.ag/3kYe7XP, https://herit.ag/3x8KmWP

Terrance Lay

Terrance Lay, a city council candidate in the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary, pleaded guilty to procuring and handling an absentee ballot for his brother-in-law in violation of state law that forbids anyone other than the voter or a close relative from handling absentee ballots. Lay was the last of the 46 people convicted by the Joint Vote Fraud Task Force formed in the wake of the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. Fraud in this 2003 primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral primary that resulted in a different winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/3rB1GT9

Kristy Ellen Dettle

Kristy Dettle from Fridley, Minnesota was charged with voting more than once in the same election, making or signing a false certificate, and making a false or untrue statement on an absentee ballot application. She pleaded guilty to voting more than once, and the other charges were dismissed. She was sentenced to one year of probation and a fine of $1,000.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y83GVl , https://herit.ag/2WixEYy

Joel Neal

Joel Neal, of St. Louis, Missouri, voted twice in the 2008 primary election: once in person for himself, and once via absentee ballot in the name of his deceased mother. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month of home confinement and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/3f4s8zw

Christopher Campbell

Mayor Christopher Campbell was convicted of voter fraud, forgery, and official misconduct. Campbell filled out 16 absentee ballots, then found and persuaded voters who had not made it to the polls to cast them in their own names. Campbell was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Source: https://herit.ag/3f3VxcZ, https://herit.ag/3BKBIkL

Allan "Twig" Simmons

Allan "Twig" Simmons, an operative for the Chicago mayor's campaign, was charged with three counts of attempted obstruction of justice and six counts of ballot fraud after persuading individuals to let him fill out their absentee ballots in exchange for jobs. He pleaded guilty to three counts of fraudulent application, showing, examination, receipt or delivery of ballots. He was sentenced to 3 years' probation and 100 hours of community service. Fraud in the 2003 East Chicago mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral race that resulted in a different winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/3rANV6V

Tonya Griffin-Bronaugh

Tonya Griffin-Bronaugh, the sister of Terrance Lay, pleaded guilty to filling out and signing an application for an absentee ballot in the name of her former husband without his knowledge in connection with the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary. Her brother was a city council candidate in that election. Griffin-Bronaugh was sentenced to 18 months of probation. Fraud in this 2003 mayoral primary was widespread, and the Indiana Supreme Court ultimately overturned the election results and ordered a special election for the mayoral race that resulted in a different winner.

Source: https://herit.ag/376jzzA

Edward Pinkney

Following a jury trial, Reverand Edward Pinkney of Benton Harbor was found guilty of possessing other individuals' absentee ballots and buying votes in a 2005 runoff election. At a local soup kitchen, Pinkney would pay $5 to each poor or homeless person who would fill out an absentee ballot.

Source: https://herit.ag/2Wi17BW