Election Fraud Cases

Diana Clagett

During a 2006 ballot measure, Diana Clagett submitted three signature sheets that contained 27 "questionable signatures" that either belonged to unregistered voters or did not match the signatures on voter registration cards. A Multnomah County grand jury indicted Clagett on two counts of making false statements. She subsequently pleaded guilty to one felony count and was placed on probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3y9dyOF

Ricky Graybael

Ricky Graybael pleaded guilty to one charge of voting more than once in an election. He was sentenced to 24 months' probation, and was ordered to complete 80 hours of community service and pay $67 in court fees.

Source: https://herit.ag/37iNLrD , (Case #06FE0061)

Leanne Lewis

Leanne Lewis pleaded guilty to being registered and voting in both Columbia County and Washington County during elections in 2003, 2004, and 2005. She was sentenced to 36 months' probation, 40 hours' community service, and fined $857.

Source: https://herit.ag/3i7sbw9

Anita Baeza

Anita Baeza was given six months of pre-trial diversion after she was charged with five counts of illegally possessing another's ballot during the 2004 primary.

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

Maria Dora Flores

Maria Dora Flores pleaded guilty to engaging in illegal "assistance" at the polls during the 2006 Democratic primary election. Prosecutors charged that Flores escorted several voters into their polling locations and then filled out and submitted ballots without their consent. The judge sentenced Flores to a $750 fine and two years of deferred probation. In a statement discussing the case, then Attorney General Greg Abbott remarked that, "Those who perpetrate voter fraud are victimizing and intimidating the elderly. This violates the law and is simply another form of elder abuse."

Source: https://herit.ag/3i8Z0sU, https://herit.ag/3l35ZW8

Willie J. Ray, Jamillah Johnson

Willie Ray, a Texarkana Ward 2 City Councilwoman, and Jamillah Johnson pleaded guilty to fraudulent use of absentee ballots during the 2004 general election. The two women illegally assisted elderly and other voters in submitting applications for mail-in ballots, then collected and mailed in the completed ballots for the voters. This assistance is a Class B misdemeanor under Texas law. The judge fined Willie Ray $200 and sentenced her to eight months of probation. Jamillah Johnson received a $200 fine and six months of probation.

Source: bit.ly/2fcgEMG, bit.ly/2f26dIi

Virginia Ramos Garza

Virginia Ramos Garza, of Nueces County, was charged with four counts of "possessing an official ballot or carrier envelope of another." In a 2005 school district election, she targeted the elderly by going door-to-door to obtain votes, and then took the ballots to the post office for mailing. She was admitted into a one-year pretrial diversion program, which included 12 months of community supervision. Garza conspired to engage in vote harvesting with Elida Garza Flores, Isabel Rios Gonzalez, and Josefina Marinas Suarez, all of whom were charged and ultimately admitted into diversion programs or received deferred adjudications.

Source: Case No. 05-CR-9806-4 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas), bit.ly/2GT3PVA

Melinda Hunter

Melinda Hunter was indicted on seven counts of illegally possessing and transporting ballots not belonging to her. Hunter illegally assisted elderly voters in preparing their ballots. She was placed in a six-month pre-trial diversion program.

Source: https://herit.ag/3l1INHv

Elida Garza Flores

Elida Garza Flores, of Nueces County, was charged with one count of "possessing of an official ballot or carrier envelope of another." In a 2005 school district election, she targeted the elderly by going door-to-door to obtain votes, and then took the ballots to the post office for mailing. She was admitted into a one-year pretrial diversion program, which included 12 months of community supervision. She conspired to engage in vote harvesting with Virginia Ramos Garza, Isabel Rios Gonzalez, and Josefina Marinas Suarez, all of whom were charged and ultimately admitted into diversion programs or received deferred adjudications.

Source: Case No. 05-CR-9805-4 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas), bit.ly/2GT3PVA

Josefina Marinas Suarez

Josefina Marinas Suarez pleaded guilty to a charge of handling an official ballot belonging to another. During the 2005 Robstown school district election Suarez targeted elderly voters, soliciting votes and returning the absentee ballots herself. Under Texas law, she was not permitted to handle or transport absentee ballots. Suarez was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication probation and a $500 fine.

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

Isabel Rios Gonzalez

Isabel Rios Gonzalez, of Nueces County, entered a plea of nolo contendere to two counts of "possessing of an official ballot or carrier envelope of another." In a 2005 school district election, she targeted the elderly by going door-to-door to obtain votes, and then took the ballots to the post office for mailing. She was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication, 12 months of community supervision, and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. She conspired to engage in vote harvesting with Virginia Ramos Garza, Elida Garza Flores, and Josefina Marinas Suarez, all of whom were charged and ultimately admitted into diversion programs or received deferred adjudications.

Source: Case No. 05-CR-9808-3 (Information obtained from the Office of the Attorney General of Texas), bit.ly/2GT3PVA

Trinidad Villalobos

Trinidad Villalobos was convicted by a jury of illegally possessing and transporting ballots belonging to multiple voters during the 2004 primary. According to witnesses, Villalobos offered to assist elderly voters fill out applications for absentee ballots and would later collect and mail those ballots. Unauthorized possession of ballots is a misdemeanor under Texas law. Villalobos received six months of probation for each charge.

Source: https://herit.ag/3x9300o

Jane Kay Balogh

Balogh was found guilty of making false or misleading statements to a public servant, as well as absentee ballot fraud and registration fraud. In 2006, Balogh registered her dog, Duncan, to vote under her address and telephone number and successfully completed and mailed an absentee ballot for him. Balogh claimed she was drawing attention to flaws in the absentee ballot system. She received a one-year deferred sentence, and was ordered to perform 10 hours of community service and pay court fees of $240.

Source: https://herit.ag/2UWDyyn, https://herit.ag/3BLKrmH

Greg Stowers, Wandell "Rocky" Adkins, Clifford Odell "Groundhog" Vance, Toney "Zeke" Dingess, Ralph Dale Adkins, and Jackie Adkins

Six Lincoln County Democrats pleaded guilty to charges of participating in a conspiracy to buy votes dating back to 1990. The indictment charged that the six conspired to buy votes in elections held in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004 "for the purpose of selecting and electing candidates to the U.S. House of Representatives and in some instances, for the presidency and vice presidency of the U.S." The men paid for votes in liquor and cash, typically $20 per vote, and handed out slates listing preferred candidates. The five also laid gravel on roads for supporters and fixed traffic tickets. Some of their sentences included the following: Vance was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment, Stowers received six months of imprisonment, and Wandell Adkins received four months in a halfway house.

Source: https://herit.ag/3iRgl8B, https://herit.ag/3f2SFx0

Perry French Harvey

Perry French Harvey pleaded guilty to a charge of scheming to buy votes in the 2004 Logan County Democratic primary. He was sentenced to three years' probation.

Source: https://herit.ag/3x9XESC, https://herit.ag/3zV0k8P