Laura Seeds, of Espanola, conspired with Dyon Herrera to falsify several absentee ballots in favor of Seeds’ husband, a city councilman who was running for mayor in 2016. Seeds was charged with two counts of making false statements relative to the municipal election code, one count of conspiracy to violate the municipal election code, and ten counts of possession of another person’s absentee ballot. Seeds was found guilty of two counts of making false statements relative to the municipal election code and two counts of possession of another person’s absentee ballot, which are all fourth degree felonies. She was sentenced to six months of house arrest, followed by five years of supervised probation. New Mexico. 2020. Fraudulent Use of Abs. Ballots. Criminal Conviction. Fraud Investigation. Report Summary
Dyon Hererra, of Espanola, conspired with Laura Seeds to falsify absentee ballots in support of Seeds’ husband’s candidacy for mayor in 2016. Hererra forged the signatures of his grandparents on absentee ballots. The candidate that he casted the ballots in favor of won the race by two votes. Herrera was charged with conspiracy to violate the municipal election code of Espanola, a fourth degree felony, and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 18 months probation. New Mexico. 2020. Fraudulent Use of Abs. Ballots. Criminal Conviction. Fraud Investigation. Report Summary
Eugene Victor wanted to prove a point about the potential for fraud in New Mexico elections by committing fraud himself. Mr. Victor cast a ballot in his son’s name and later turned himself in to the authorities. He pleaded no contest to a fourth-degree felony charge of false voting and is serving 18 months’ probation. New Mexico. 2015. Impersonation Fraud at the Polls. Diversion Program. Fraud Investigation. Report Summary
Silvia Gomez pleaded guilty to voter fraud in connection a Sunland Park municipal election in which she registered people she knew to be ineligible to vote in Sunland Park. She was sentenced to three years’ probation. New Mexico. 2013. False Registrations. Criminal Conviction. Fraud Investigation. Report Summary
Priscilla Morales, the public works director’s in Sunland Park, but an El Paso resident, registered to vote in Doa Ana County, and voted in Sunland Park’s municipal elections by using former City Councilor Angelica Marquez’s home address. She pleaded guilty to false voting and conspiracy to commit a crime. She was sentenced to 18 months of probation and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service. New Mexico. 2012. False Registrations. Criminal Conviction. Fraud Investigation. Report Summary
Teresa Monahan, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to voter fraud in a referendum election for casting her own vote and then seeking to vote by an absentee ballot for her deceased brother. She was convicted of a fourth degree felony and entered into a diversion program that stipulates if she complies with the terms of her probation, the charge will be erased from her record. She was sentenced to between nine and 18 months on probation. New Mexico. 2009. Fraudulent Use of Abs. Ballots. Diversion Program. Fraud Investigation. Report Summary
Horacio Favela, a former Sunland Park Municipal Judge, was convicted of falsely declaring himself a resident of Sunland Park in 2008 so he could run for his judgeship, falsifying a document that declared him a qualified voter, and voting twice in the 2004 general election–once in El Paso, Texas and once in Doa Ana County. Favela was convicted of four counts related to his voter fraud charges. He was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and ordered to take two introductory government classes and deliver a speech to school children on civic and electoral rights and responsibilities. New Mexico. 2009. False Registrations. Criminal Conviction. Fraud Investigation. Report Summary
Gillian Yingling and 18 others, of Rio Arriba County, including several local officials, were arrested on election-fraud charges, including ineligible absentee voting and false statements on absentee ballots. Yingling pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor voter fraud charge, receiving 364 days’ supervised probation. New Mexico. 1998. Fraudulent Use of Abs. Ballots. Criminal Conviction. Fraud Investigation. Report Summary