Election Fraud Cases

Ruth Elizabeth Bran

Ruth Elizabeth Bran was charged by the federal government with eight felony counts including false claim of U.S. Citizenship, procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully, false statements, and voting by an alien. Bran voted in the 2016 presidential election despite being ineligible. She pleaded guilty to felony charges of false claim of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote, naturalization fraud, fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and false statement in an immigration proceeding and entered into a pretrial diversion program for 12 months, and the charges were dropped after completion of the program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3QOguuG , https://herit.ag/3QNtj8A , https://herit.ag/3G8Z9rp

Robert Dean Hudson

The Cleveland County Board of Elections determined that Robert Dean Hudson illegally voted despite being a convicted felon whose voting rights had not been restored. According to the Board, Hudson cast a ballot on October 20th, during North Carolina's early voting period. His ballot was ordered removed by the Board, and Hudson was referred for possible prosecution.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iXLBTH, https://herit.ag/2WqEKui

Nebi Ademi

Nebi Ademi, 63, a native of Macedonia who resides in Chippewa Falls, successfully cast a ballot in the April 2016 primary election, despite his status as a non-citizen. Ademi filled out a same-day registration, leaving blank the question about his citizenship. District Attorney Steve Gibbs noted that poll workers "should have caught this" and recommended, based on his determination that Ademi had not deliberately broken the law, that the charges against him be changed from election fraud to disorderly conduct. Ademi pleaded no contest. He was ordered to pay $443 in court costs.

Source: bit.ly/2lwffRw, bit.ly/2lpUgSk

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: https://herit.ag/3CjcQAj, https://herit.ag/3GoeuTD

Bronwyn Louisa Johnson

Bronwyn Louisa Johnson was charged by the state in Moore County with one felony count of voter registration fraud after registering to vote as a convicted felon still on probation in the 2014 General Election. She pleaded guilty to one count of voter registration fraud, and on the same day she also pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of cocaine. She was sentenced to 4 to 14 months in prison which was suspended, given credit for 54 days of confinement, and placed on 12 months of unsupervised probation. She was also assessed court costs and fees totaling $1,254.50.

Source: herit.ag/3IkDuy5

Bruce Edward Johnson

Bruce Edward Johnson was charged by the state in Moore County with one felony count of voter registration fraud after registering to vote during the 2012 General Election despite being ineligible since he was a felon who was supposed to be serving a life sentence for a second degree murder charge. For reasons unknown, he was never taken back into custody after he was out on bond during his appeal in 1984, where his charge was upheld. He was arrested again in 2014 for a weapons charge. He pleaded guilty pursuant to North Carolina v. Alford, a 1970 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows a defendant to plead guilty while still asserting his innocence, and was sentenced to probation to run concurrently with the prison sentence he is presently serving and ordered to pay court costs and fees totaling $405.

Source: herit.ag/3K0WL95 , herit.ag/3Kdfdvn

Samuel Walter Sylvester IV

Samuel Walter Sylvester IV pleaded guilty in Cumberland County to voting as a convicted felon. Sylvester was on probation in Wake County following his conviction for felony speeding to avoid arrest. In November, 2014, Sylvester illegally voted in violation of North Carolina law, which bars convicted felons from voting until their rights are restored. Sylvester was sentenced to six months' probation and ordered to complete 48 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y9yxAU, https://herit.ag/2VdbWoy

Lorain, OH

On election night, it appeared that political newcomer Ryan Horn defeated incumbent City Councilman Dennis Flores in the primary for Lorain City Council Democratic Ward 2. Flores claimed, through his attorney, that the voting was rigged. Following a lengthy trial, Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Betleski invalidated the initial election results and declared Flores to be the winner. For each ballot he tossed, Betelski outlined why it was not authorized and, hence, illegitimate.

Source: https://herit.ag/3742y9k

Benito Aranda Jr.

Benito Aranda Jr., who was ineligible to vote due to a prior felony conviction, voted illegally in a 2012 primary election. Aranda pled guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, probated to 10 years of community supervision.

Source: https://herit.ag/3yakNFV, Case no. 14-0713-904-CR

Tamara Scotch

Tamara Scotch and her husband, Michael, of Edwards County, voted in a district other than the one in which they resided in a 2013 municipal election. The Scotches both falsely listed their residence as being in Rocksprings, and voted there, despite not living in the city. Tamara was charged with two counts of illegal voting and two counts of tampering with a government record. Tamara pleaded no contest to illegal voting in exchange for the state dropping the other charges. She was sentenced to 24 months' deferred adjudication during which she was on community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/3i4UR9d, https://herit.ag/3j9ZlLd

Andrew R. Knox

Andrew R. Knox voted in the 2010 election despite his status as a convicted felon. On March 11, 2015, Knox pleaded guilty to misdemeanor falsification of voter registry information. Knox had to pay fines amounting to $379, but received no jail time.

Source: bit.ly/2lpWNfd

Valerie Moran

Valerie Moran, of Merrimac, pleaded no contest to a charge of illegal voting in the 2014 general election. Moran, a convicted felon, voted despite still being on probation and therefore ineligible to cast a ballot. She was sentenced to 20 days' imprisonment.

Source: bit.ly/2uw5DdF, bit.ly/2uPMdjy

Curtis Vernon Pyeatt

Curtis Pyeatt pleaded guilty to attempted ineligible voting in 2012. He was fined $2,500, ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, and placed on 364 days of probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iXLtDH, https://herit.ag/3i7eo8T,

Tom Lee West

Tom West pleaded guilty to attempted ineligible voting during the 2012 general election. He paid $4,575 in fines and completed 100 hours of community service.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y85FZD, https://herit.ag/3rDnhu6

Mayra Alejandra Lopez Morales

Mayra Alejandra Lopez Morales pleaded guilty to an aggravated misdemeanor charge for registering and voting as a non-U.S. citizen in the 2012 election. She received a deferred judgment with two years of probation and a $750 fine.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iOfV2S