What to Know
- The group was accused of offering cash and cigarettes in exchange for the signatures on documents that date back to 2016.
- When the group was stopped by officers they were carrying petitions for a variety of initiatives spanning interests of several political parties.
- The suspected motive for the fraud has not been released, though the officials said it initially appeared to be financial rather than political.
One of nine people charged with paying homeless people on Skid Row for their signatures on official petitions and voter registration forms has pleaded guilty.
Norman Hall, 62, was sentenced to a year in jail and placed on probation. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, the LA County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.
The eight others facing charges were ordered to return to court in May for a pretrial hearing. The criminal allegations were obtained in a grand jury indictment that has remained under seal.
The group was accused in an initial criminal complaint of offering cash and cigarettes in exchange for the signatures on documents that date back to 2016, as first reported by NBC4.
Some of those charged were among a group arrested by LAPD Central Division vice and patrol officers in May 2018. The LA City Attorney's Office said at the time three were being charged with misdemeanor violations of the California Elections Code.
The newer felony charges filed in an arrest warrant included allegations they circulated a petition with false names, used of false names on a petition, voter fraud - registering a fictitious person; and voter fraud - registering a nonexistent person.
More Stories
FBI agents joined the investigation some months ago and provided a great deal of assistance to the District Attorney's Office, law enforcement officials told NBC4.
When the group was stopped by officers they were carrying petitions for a variety of initiatives spanning interests of several political parties. The suspected motive for the fraud has not been released, though the officials said it initially appeared to be financial rather than political.
