09.24.08
The last defendant in an East Chicago vote fraud investigation has been found guilty.  Terrance Lay was convicted of collecting another voter’s absentee ballot during the East Chicago 2003 mayoral election, a race so riddled with fraud that the state supreme court ordered a do-over.  Among the 46 individuals convicted were two city councilmen, five police officers, two fire department employees, 17 more public employees, and three precinct committeemen.  WIBC 93.1 Indianapolis news has more on the story here.

4.29.08
The Howard County Election Board will reject more than 500 absentee ballot applications because they were filled out by officials with the United Auto Workers Union. State law prohibits anyone from giving out a pre-filled in absentee ballot application. According to County Clerk Mona Myers, parts of the applications were filled out in advance, including designations for which party ballot was being requested in the May 6 primary election, the type of ballot, and the reason for requesting an absentee ballot. Myers also said that all of the applications received were for Democratic Party ballots. “All the applications for an absentee ballot that were pre-filled out will be rejected,” she said. “There was an attempt to change the application, but can still see where an “x” was typed.” The Kokomo Tribune has more on the story here.

4.28.08
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 6-3 to uphold Indiana’s law requiring voters to show a government-issued photo ID before casting a ballot. The law "is amply justified by the valid interest in protecting 'the integrity and reliability of the electoral process,'" Justice John Paul Stevens said in the lead opinion that was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Anthony Kennedy. Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas also agreed with the outcome, but wrote separately. And, Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and David Souter dissented. The Indiana law directs the state to provide identification cards free of charge and allows a voter who lacks proper photo ID to cast a provisional ballot, which will be counted if the voter can produce proper identification or otherwise attest to his or her identification within 10 days at the county courthouse. The Washington Post and the Associated Press have more on the story here and here. The text of the opinion can be found here.

4.14.08
The Indiana Attorney General reported Monday that two public safety officials have pleaded guilty to crimes related to the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary election. East Chicago firefighter Demetreos Hasapis, 44, pleaded guilty in Lake Criminal Court to unauthorized entry at the polls and was sentenced to a suspended 60-day sentence at the Lake County Jail, with 60 days of probation. A plea agreement reduced his felony charge of voting in another precinct to a misdemeanor. East Chicago police Officer Ronald DeCastro, 38, pleaded guilty to failure to cast or return a ballot in an authorized manner. DeCastro was sentenced to a suspended 60-day sentence in the Lake County Jail and 60 days of probation. Both men were charged following a Joint Vote Fraud Task Force investigation into the primary election. To date, the task force has charged 53 people, according to Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter's office. Of 52 concluded cases, 45 have ended with convictions, four were dismissed, one person died and two people have been found not guilty at trial. The Northwest Indiana Times has the story here.

4.01.08
Attorney General Steve Carter has announced that his office is joining an investigation into alleged absentee vote fraud in last year’s Jeffersonville Democrat mayoral primary. The Attorney General said in a press release that he was asked to join the investigation by Ron Simpson, the Harrison County special prosecutor assigned to investigate the allegations. The allegations of absentee vote fraud in the primary election were raised late last year by former Jeffersonville Mayor Rob Waiz, who lost by 261 votes to current Mayor Tom Galligan. Waiz’s complaint alleges that various laws governing absentee ballots were violated in the primary. In his press release the attorney general commented “[a]n instance of vote fraud cancels out one person’s legitimate vote … We are dedicating resources to this effort knowing how important this issue is for the entire state. A joint investigation can provide a level of confidence in the process and help restore integrity to the electoral and governmental process.” The Louisville Courier-Journal has more on the story, and the press release from Attorney General Steve Carter is available here.

2.11.08
A Lake County criminal court placed suspended police officer Ponciano Herrera of East Chicago on 90 days probation for vote fraud. Herrera, 42, pled guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge of acquiring a phony ballot in the 2003 East Chicago Democratic primary election. Herrera, who had been suspended since being charged two years ago, entered a guilty plea as part of an agreement with prosecutors and the Attorney General’s office to dismiss felony charges, making it possible for him to return to work. Herrera still faces a disciplinary hearing before the County Police Merit Board to determine if he will resume his duties as a police officer. The results of the 2003 East Chicago primary were overturned because of widespread corruption. The Northwest Indiana Times has more on the story.

12.13.07
Ninety percent of the voter fraud cases that came out of East Chicago in 2003 have been successfully prosecuted, Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter said Wednesday. So far, 38 people of the 42 charged have been convicted; of the other cases, three were dismissed, one ended in acquittal, and the other person died. "We've had a major impact on illegal voting; the old games haven't been going on (in Lake County) and absentee ballots were down," Carter said. "People have been saying to us, 'You've made a difference,’" added Lake County Prosecutor Bernie Carter. The Northwest Indiana Times has more on the story. See also (“Vote fraud fight hailed”, The Gary Post-Tribune, 12/13/07)

11.08.07
Two more people charged with vote fraud by the Lake County Joint Vote Fraud Task Force have pleaded guilty and another person has been sentenced announced Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter. There are now 37 convictions against 53 defendants for vote fraud. Brian Berkman, a former Schererville Town Court Bailiff, pled guilty to Voting in Other Precinct, and has been sentenced to one year in the Lake County jail, to be served on probation.  Natividad Hernandez, pled guilty to Unauthorized Entry at the Polls, and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12.  Sentencing has also occurred for Ashley Dunlap who pled guilty to Aiding Fraudulent Application of a Ballot in August; he has been sentenced to one year probation.  The All American Patriot has more on the story.

09.25.07
The Northwest Indiana Times reports that State Attorney General Steve Carter has filed a motion to intervene in the civil case of two East Chicago police officers charged with vote fraud. On July 31, 2006, Attorney General Carter and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter charged Ronald DeCastro with four counts of vote fraud and Randy Morris with one count of vote fraud. Attorney General Carter reportedly filed the motion to intervene in the civil case because he believes the two men sought court orders entitling them to vote by provisional ballot in the May 8, 2007, primary election in an attempt to circumvent the criminal proceedings that had been filed against them by the Lake County Joint Voter Fraud Task Force in 2006. The Northwest Indiana Times has more on the story.

09.21.07
Attorney General Steve Carter announced Thursday that two more people charged with vote fraud by the Lake County Joint Vote Fraud Task Force have pleaded guilty. Alicia Dunbar and Ivan Dunbar, both of East Chicago, have pleaded guilty to voting in another precinct. Both received a one-year probation. They were charged in March 2006 for illegal voting activity. Sentencing previously occurred for two other defendants on similar charges: Ricardo Alamillo was sentenced to a one and a half year suspended prison sentence and one and a half years of probation; and Mark Orosco was sentenced to a one-year suspended prison sentence and one year of probation. Orosco was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. The Northwest Indiana Times has more on the story.

08.24.07
Two more guilty pleas in the 2003 East Chicago primary election bring the total number of voting fraud convictions to 32 since the maligned polling took place, prosecutors announced today. Ashley Dunlap, of East Chicago, has pleaded guilty to one count of aiding the fraudulent application of a ballot, a Class D felony. Raymond Carillo, of Hammond, also has pleaded guilty to one count of voting in a precinct in which he did not reside, a Class D felony. The Northwest Indiana Times has more on the story.

08.20.07
The Northwest Indiana Times reports that a former East Chicago councilman, Levones Tolbert, pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor count of making unauthorized poll entries and was sentenced to 30 days probation. Tolbert was the highest-ranking official charged after a Joint Vote Fraud Task Force of Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter and County Prosecutor Bernard Carter investigated the discredited May 2003 Democratic mayoral primary. In that election, former East Chicago Mayor Robert Pastrick's campaign manufactured a razor-thin victory with tainted absentee ballots. The Northwest Indiana Times has the rest of the story.

06.16.07
The (Jeffersonville) News and Tribune reports that the state and local investigations continue concerning Clark County’s absentee ballots from 2003.  The county prosecutor was recently given documents containing the name of a suspect, list of witnesses, and sworn statements taken by a court reporter. There is a 5-year statute of limitations on election fraud, meaning that the prosecutor’s office would have to file charges by 2008 if there is a case to be made.(“Still no word on Clarksville absentee ballots”, The News and Tribune, 06/16/07)

12.06.06
Robert “Bosko” Grkinich, a Democrat precinct committeeman from Schererville, has been charged with 20 felony counts of voter fraud after allegedly illegally influencing non-English speaking voters to cast an absentee ballot for his political ally.  The case against Grkinich is the first to go to trial of 52 people charged as a result of a nearly 3-year investigation by the Joint Vote Fraud Task Force of Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter.  The task force looked into the discredited May 2003 Democratic primary in which the East Chicago mayoral results and Schererville town judge results were overturned.  The (Munster) Times has the rest of the story.

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