Election Fraud Cases

Arch Turner

Arch Turner, the Breathitt County School Superintendent, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, admitting to handing out money to buy votes in a 2010 election. He was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $250,000 for his role in directing a vote-buying scheme.

Source: https://herit.ag/372GU5h

Naomi Johnson, Jackie Jennings, and Earl Young

Three Jackson residents were convicted in a vote buying scheme in a 2010 magistrate's race where they tried to control the outcome of the primary election. Johnson and Young were sentenced to four months in prison for conspiring to buy votes and vote buying. Jennings was sentenced to two months in prison for vote buying and conspiracy.

Source: bit.ly/2fiA3b8

Michael Salyers

In 2012, Michael Salyers, a former Brethitt County magistrate candidate, was sentenced to two months in jail, six months in home confinement, and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service for buying votes during his campaign. He admitted to paying people $25 to vote for him.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y7GZAI, https://herit.ag/3rAZtH8

Randy Salyer

Randy Salyer, an operative in a vote-buying scheme connected to Magoffin County Judge-Executive Charles "Doc" Hardin, was convicted of two counts of vote-buying. A joint investigation by the Kentucky Attorney General's office and the FBI revealed that Salyer paid individuals $100 each to bring him their absentee ballots. He was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, but amazingly upon his release Judge-Executive Hardin hired Salyer as an assistant, likely as a reward for not testifying against him, according to documents filed by the prosecutor in the case.

Source: bit.ly/2eAIM8F, https://herit.ag/3BPBUiv

Jeffrey Newport, Martha Hughes, Tony Gumm, William Proffitt, Corey Page, and Michael Page

Six defendants pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to buy votes in the 2006 Monroe County general election in favor of certain candidates. Gumm was sentenced to three years' probation with eight months' home detention and a $4,000 fine. Martha Hughes, Michael Page, and Corey Page were each sentenced to two years' probation and six months' home detention. Newport was sentenced to two years' probation, two months' home incarceration, and ordered to pay a $500 fine. Proffitt was sentenced to two years' probation and ordered to pay $1000 in fines.

Source: https://herit.ag/37iNKE5, bit.ly/2eVD58f

Michael Douglas, Jr. and Olin Gibson

Former Dodge County Sheriff Michael Douglas, Jr., and Deputy Sheriff Olin Gibson pleaded guilty to election fraud in connection with Douglas' first campaign for sheriff in 2004. Douglas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to buy votes and to voting more than once, and Gibson pleaded guilty to buying a vote for Douglas.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l6shWP

Wilbur Graves, Wanda Moore, Gary Bartley, and Ronald Muse

Wilbur Graves, a former judge-executive for Monroe County, was convicted along with Wanda Moore, Gary Bartley, and Ronald Muse in a vote-buying scheme during the 2006 Monroe County general election. Moore and Muse both reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, testifying against Wilbur Graves. During the testimony, Moore stated that Graves provided her $20,000 to $30,000 which Moore used to buy votes for Graves. She paid about 140 voters $40 to $60 per vote. Graves was convicted and sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, two years' supervised release, and a $5,000 fine. Moore was sentenced to two years' probation and a $400 fine. The judge sentenced Bartley to six months' probation/home confinement and ordered him to pay a $2,000 fine. Muse was sentenced to time served.

Source: bit.ly/2eVD58f, https://herit.ag/3rB1HGH

Chester Jones and Sherman Neace

Chester Jones and Sherman Neace pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a vote-buying scheme masterminded by the two men during the 2008 election. Jones was running for the Perry County School Board and also served as chairman of the county Democrat Party executive committee. Neace, a former county judge-executive, was running for magistrate. The pair accepted $7,500 from the Kentucky Democrat Party to fund get-out-the-vote efforts, but instead used the money to buy the votes of 75 Perry County voters for $100 apiece. Both men pleaded guilty to mail-fraud charges for mailing false campaign-spending documents to state agencies to cover up their illegal activity. Jones was sentenced to one year in prison, and Neace was sentenced to three years of probation, serving the first six months in home confinement.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iM4vMU, bit.ly/2fiEzWY, bit.ly/2eoz1Ne

R. Cletus Maricle, Douglas Adams, Freddy Thompson, Stanley Bowling, Charles Jones, William Stivers, William Morris, and Debra Morris

Eight defendants (including a former circuit judge, a former school superintendent, a county clerk, a magistrate, and a former Democratic election commissioner) were convicted of vote-buying, mail fraud, extortion, and money laundering for checking lists of voters to identify those who would take bribes and for organizing people to drive them to the polls, where complicit precinct workers made sure they voted correctly and gave them a ticket to redeem for payment. After a lengthy appeals process, and after all 8 had served 40 months in prison, their sentences were reduced to: William Morris - five years, six months; Debra Morris - three years, four months; Stanley Bowling - five years, six months; Maricle, Stivers, Adams - 100 days' home incarceration, two years' supervised release; Freddy Thompson - two years' supervised release. Charles Jones has not yet been sentenced.

Source: bit.ly/2fdA29C, bit.ly/2eezHBr, https://herit.ag/3zHOMpi

Kenny Ray Bowen and Billy Street

Kenny Ray Bowen and Billy Street both pleaded guilty to two counts of voter fraud in connection with their involvement in a vote-buying scheme surrounding the 2007 Benton County election. They were the last of 16 individuals who either pleaded guilty or were found guilty of voter fraud in an elaborate electioneering operation. Both men were sentenced to five years, with four-and-a-half years suspended, six months to serve under house arrest, and four-and-a-half years under post-release supervision. Bowen and Street were also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine to the Crime Victim's Compensation Fund.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l3BSxt, https://herit.ag/3xbrEh0

Jasper Buggs, Sr., James Bullock, and Ronnie Wilkerson

Jasper Buggs, Sr., James Bullock, and Ronnie Wilkerson pleaded guilty to voter fraud charges in connection with their involvement in a vote-buying scheme surrounding the 2007 Benton County election. Buggs pleaded guilty to two counts of voter fraud, Bullock pleaded guilty to five counts of voter fraud, and Wilkerson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit voter fraud. All three men were sentenced to five years, with four years suspended and one year to serve under house arrest on each count, all the counts to run concurrently. They were also sentenced to four years of post-release supervision and were ordered to pay a $1,000 fine to the Crime Victim's Compensation Fund.

Source: https://herit.ag/3zMygV3 , https://herit.ag/2VbUjFu

Jerry Huck Childers, Cooper Epps, David Massey, Arnold Rooker, Sr., and Stanley Maurice Warren

Jerry Huck Childers, Cooper Epps, David Massey, Arnold Rooker, Sr., and Stanley Maurice Warren all pleaded guilty to voter fraud charges in connection with their involvement in a vote-buying scheme surrounding the 2007 Benton County election. They were part of ring of 16 individuals who either pleaded guilty or were found guilty of voter fraud in an elaborate electioneering operation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3rBsVgh , https://herit.ag/2TBA9US , https://herit.ag/3f22pr8

Tate King, Henry Massey, and Lillie Jean Norton

Benton County supervisor Tate King was convicted of committing voter fraud after he paid people to vote for him in the 2007 primary and runoff elections. Eleven others who were also under investigation in connection with this matter have also either pleaded guilty or been convicted. He was sentenced to one year in prison, two years on house arrest, and two years of supervised release, in addition to a $5,000 fine. Norton received three years' supervised probation, and Massey received one year of house arrest and two years of supervised release.

Source: https://herit.ag/3yarVSD, https://herit.ag/3rEwDWv , https://herit.ag/372H5gX

Larry "Tip" Massey

Larry "Tip" Massey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit voter fraud in connection with his involvement in a 2007 Benton County election vote-buying scheme. He was sentenced to five years in prison, although three of those years were suspended. He will serve two years in prison and another two under supervised probation.

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

Deborah Ramirez

A California resident was convicted of illegally circulating a ballot petition for USA Consultants in an effort to legalize gambling in Ohio. Furthermore, Ramirez paid Ohio voters to sign their names on empty ballots. Over half the signatures on the petition were invalid. Ramirez was sentenced to 120 days in prison and three years of community control.

Source: https://herit.ag/37iNPYp, https://herit.ag/3f4Fagf