Alvin Ray Porter, Jr., the former police chief of Logan County, pleaded guilty to buying votes during the 2002 Democratic Primary. Porter was one of several Logan County officials who conspired to influence elections in 2002. Porter was sentenced to three years of probation and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. He also was […]
In West Virginia, Johnny Mendez, the sheriff of Logan County, pleaded guilty to federal charges that he accepted $10,000 in illegal contributions and used the money to buy votes in the 2000 and 2004 elections.
Jerry Weaver and Greg Stowers, leaders of a political machine in Lincoln County, pleaded guilty to vote buying charges in connection with a 12-year-long vote fraud scheme. Both men were sentenced to a year in prison.
Johnny “Big John” Mendez, former Logan County Sheriff, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to buy votes. Mendez bought votes for himself and a member of the state House of Delegates, making cash payments and offering more money to heads of households who could deliver the votes of all the eligible voters living at a […]
When his wife was running for the House of Delegates, Mark Oliver Hrutkay, a lawyer and his wife’s campaign treasurer, paid $10,000 to a political operative to secure support for his wife’s candidacy. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud charges, stemming from his mailing a campaign disclosure form that failed to mention the $10,000 payment. […]
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 […]
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.
James Surkamp pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized presence in a polling place. Surkamp, while serving as Jefferson County Commissioner, voted twice in a 2009 referendum. He cast his first vote during the early voting period and then attempted to vote again on election day. Surkamp, who subsequently lost his re-election bid in […]
Former Lincoln County Commissioner Thomas Ramey pleaded guilty to lying to federal officers in the midst of their investigation of a massive voter fraud conspiracy. Sheriff Jerry Bowman and County Clerk Donald Whitten also pleaded guilty, admitting that they stuffed ballot boxes with fraudulent ballots and falsified absentee ballots in an effort to rig the […]
Dallas Toler, former Mingo County Chief Magistrate, pleaded guilty to voter registration fraud. He submitted a voter registration for someone he knew was a convicted felon. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison.