Voter Fraud Convictions in West Virginia, 2016-2020
Return to the Voter Fraud Convictions Summary Chart
| A. Conviction Details | B. Background | C. Potential Election Impact | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Election Year: 2020 Name: Kathryn Nestor Party Affiliation: Not Found[1]According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Kathryn Nestor pleaded no contest on 8/29/2022 to one misdemeanor charge of false swearing in violation of the West Virginia Election Code 393 in relation to an offense committed during the 2020 mayoral election in Vienna, West Virginia. Nestor was sentenced on the same day to 10 days imprisonment, suspended, six months of unsupervised probation and a $50 fine.[2]Samantha Cavali, “Vienna Woman Sentenced for Election Fraud Stemming from Vienna Municipal Election,” wtap.com, October 18, 2022 | “Kathryn Nestor of Vienna, on August 29 [2022],… entered a plea of no contest to the misdemeanor charge of False Swearing in violation of West Virginia Election Code 393. The charge stemmed from an incident where the defendant signed the names of others, without authority, upon a mayoral candidate’s nomination petition for the 2020 Vienna Municipal Election.”[3]Samantha Cavali, “Vienna Woman Sentenced for Election Fraud Stemming from Vienna Municipal Election,” wtap.com, October 18, 2022 Case Notes: Case Number: Not Found | Type of Election: Ballot Petition before a Mayoral Election Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections |
| 2. | Election Year: 2020 Name: Elizabeth Durham Party Affiliation: Not Found[4]According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Elizabeth Durham pleaded no contest on 11/10/2021 “to one charge of petit larceny and one charge of unlawful voter registration,” reduced from five felony counts as part of a plea agreement.[5]My Buckhannon, “Kanawha County Woman Sentenced in Voter Registration Fraud Case,” mybuckhannon.com, November 19, 2021 Durham was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment, suspended for six months of probation.[6]My Buckhannon, “Kanawha County Woman Sentenced in Voter Registration Fraud Case,” mybuckhannon.com, November 19, 2021 | “According to Secretary of State Mac Warner, election officials flagged a suspicious online voter registration change of address request made for an individual that died in 2020. The Kanawha County Clerk initially declined the registration pending further investigation … [Elizabeth] Durham was [subsequently] charged with five felonies including one count of computer fraud in the attempt to unlawfully register to vote and four counts involving check fraud,… On November 10th [2021], Durham reached a plea agreement with the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.”[7]My Buckhannon, “Kanawha County Woman Sentenced in Voter Registration Fraud Case,” mybuckhannon.com, November 19, 2021 Case Notes: Case Number: Not Found | Type of Election: Voter Registration Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections |
| 3. | Election Year: 2020 Name: Thomas Cooper Party Affiliation: Not Found[8]According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Thomas Cooper “pleaded guilty in July 2020 to attempt to defraud the residents of West Virginia of a fair election and injury to the mail.”[9]MetroNews Staff, “Pendleton County Mail Carrier Sentenced in Election Fraud Case,” wvmetronews.com, June 21, 2021 Cooper was sentenced on 6/21/2021 to “five years of probation, with the first six months home confinement.”[10]U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia, “Pendleton County Mail Carrier Sentenced for Attempted Election Fraud,” justice.gov, June 21, 2021 | “A West Virginia mail carrier is facing prison time after admitting he attempted election fraud by changing the party registrations of people who had requested absentee ballots for the state’s June primary,… Thomas Cooper, 47, of Dry Fork signed an agreement in which he pleaded guilty … The Clerk of Pendleton County discovered the eight 2020 primary election COVID-19 mail-in absentee requests appeared to have been altered using a black pen. Five of the requests had been altered so the voters’ ballot choice was switched from Democrat to Republican.”[11]David Mack, “A Mail Carrier Took People’s Absentee Ballot Requests and Switched Their Party to Republican,” buzzfeednews.com, July 9, 2020 Case Notes: Case Number: 2:20-MJ-00018-MJA Affidavit | Type of Election: Absentee Ballot Requests before the 2020 Primary Election Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections |
| 4. | Election Year: 2020 Name: Richard Fox Party Affiliation: Not Found[12]According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Richard Fox pleaded guilty in May 2023 to voting twice in the 2020 presidential election. Fox was sentenced to one year of probation and fined $1,000.[13]The Associated Press, “West Virginia Man to Pay $1,000 Fine for Casting Two Mail-In Ballots in 2020 Election,” wsaz.com, May 26, 2023 | “Richard Fox was sentenced last week [in May 2023] in Fayette County Circuit Court for casting two mail-in ballots – one in West Virginia and one in Florida – during Nov. 3, 2020, election, according to a news release from Warner’s office. The release did not include any information about who Fox voted for.”[14]The Associated Press, “West Virginia Man to Pay $1,000 Fine for Casting Two Mail-In Ballots in 2020 Election,” wsaz.com, May 26, 2023 Case Notes: Case Number: Not Found | Type of Election: Presidential Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal vote, party unknown |
| 5. | Election Year: 2020 Name: Jon Cooper Party Affiliation: Not Found[15]According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Jon Cooper pleaded guilty to illegal voting in August 2023 in relation to offenses committed during the 2020 election cycle. Cooper was adjudicated guilty and ordered to pay a fine of $500.[16]Brad Johnson, “Randolph County Man Pleads Guilty to Voter Fraud,” wvpublic.org, August 30, 2023 | “Jon Cooper entered a guilty plea to voting twice in the 2020 general election, once in West Virginia and once in New Mexico. … Randolph County Circuit Court Judge David Wilmoth denied Cooper’s request for deferred adjudication and ordered him to pay a $500 fine.”[17]Brad Johnson, “Randolph County Man Pleads Guilty to Voter Fraud,” wvpublic.org, August 30, 2023 Case Notes: Case Number: Not Found | Type of Election: Presidential Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal vote, party unknown |
| 6. | Election Year: 2020 Name: Jack Wilson Vaughan Party Affiliation: Not Found[18]According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Jack Wilson Vaughan pleaded guilty on 8/24/2023 to one misdemeanor charge of illegal voting in relation to offenses committed during the 2020 presidential election. Vaughan was found guilty and fined $100 and court costs.[19]State of West Virginia v. Jack Wilson Vaughan, Case Number: 23-M-70, Sentencing Order | “Jack Vaughan, a resident of Kanawha County [WV], has pleaded guilty to illegal voting in the 2020 General Election. In 2020, Vaughan voted in two states using absentee ballots – once in Florida and again in West Virginia.”[20]WV Press Release Sharing, “WV Secretary of State Warner Announces Conviction of Kanawha County Man for Illegal Voting in 2020 General Election,” wvpress.org, September 19, 2023 Case Notes: State of West Virginia v. Jack Wilson Vaughan Case Number: 23-M-70 Sentencing Order | Type of Election: Presidential Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal vote, party unknown |
| 7. | Election Year: 2019 Name: Tess Alayna Bishop Party Affiliation: No Party Affiliation[21]Response from Senior Elections Specialist, West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, August 16, 2021. According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Tess Alayna Bishop pleaded guilty on 7/8/2020 to one misdemeanor[22]Kelsie LeRose, “Utah Woman Enters Plea After Voting in Harpers Ferry Election,” journal-news.net, February 11, 2020 count of illegal voting in relation to an offense committed during the Harpers Ferry council election in 2019.[23]Matthew Umstead, “Mayor’s Daughter Guilty of Illegal Voting Harpers Ferry Election,” heraldmailmedia.com, July 12, 2020 Bishop was sentenced “to complete 24 hours of community service by February 2021 in lieu of a three-day jail sentence that was imposed in the case.”[24]Matthew Umstead, “Mayor’s Daughter Guilty of Illegal Voting Harpers Ferry Election,” heraldmailmedia.com, July 12, 2020 | “A woman living in Utah has entered a plea after officials say she voted in the highly contested 2019 Harpers Ferry election despite not being a resident,… Tess Alayna Bishop, the daughter of Harpers Ferry mayor Wayne Bishop,… while being a resident and being registered to vote in Utah – ‘did unlawfully and knowingly vote in the Harpers Ferry municipal election when not legally entitled to do so because she did not reside in the town and was not a bona fide resident of West Virginia.'”[25]Kelsie LeRose, “Utah Woman Enters Plea After Voting in Harpers Ferry Election,” journal-news.net, February 11, 2020 Case Notes: Case Number: CC-19-2020-M-2 Plea Offer Letter | Type of Election: Council Election Party Affiliation: No Party Affiliation Theoretical Election Effect: No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections |
| 8. | Election Year: 2019 Name: Timothy Aaron Metz, also known as T. Aaron Metz, and Aaron Metz Party Affiliation: Ran as a Republican in the 2018 WV House of Delegates election.[26]Mongolia County Republican Executive Committee, “Republican Slate for Monongalia County,” moncountygop.com, accessed on May 18, 2022 No Party Affiliation listed on the WV voter rolls in November 2020[27]Response from Senior Elections Specialist, West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, August 16, 2021. According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Timothy Aaron Metz pleaded guilty on 1/21/2021 to one felony count of falsely filing certification of nomination in relation to offenses committed during the Morgantown City Council election in 2019.[28]Staff Reports, WV News, “Secretary of State Warner Announces Conviction in Morgantown West Virginia City Council Election Fraud Case,” wvnews.com, January 21, 2021 Metz was sentenced to a pretrial diversion program and placed on unsupervised probation for 24 months.[29]Staff Reports, WV News, “Secretary of State Warner Announces Conviction in Morgantown West Virginia City Council Election Fraud Case,” wvnews.com, January 21, 2021 | “Timothy Aaron Metz was the subject of an investigation after Morgantown election officials alerted the Secretary of State’s Office that Metz may have falsified his candidate certificate of announcement, which in Morgantown requires signatures of a certain number of City residents. The investigation found 21 signatures on Metz’s nominating petitions were fraudulent, including the signature of one deceased person. … Metz withdrew from the Morgantown City election admitting that he ‘cut corners’ in collecting the required signatures to get his name on the ballot.”[30]Samantha Casano, “Warner Announces Conviction in Morgantown Election Fraud Case,” woay.com, January 21, 2021 Case Notes: Case Number: Not Found | Type of Election: City Council Party Affiliation: Republican / No Party Affiliation Theoretical Election Effect: No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections |
| 9. | Election Year: 2016, possible[31]Hartman had cast ballots nine times in both West Virginia and Maryland between 2006 and 2018. – Source: Secretary of State Mac Warner, “Maryland Resident Convicted of Illegal Voting in … Continue reading Name: Jeffrey Hartman Party Affiliation: Republican[32]Email response from Official Election Team at the Carroll County Board of Elections, Maryland, on August 19, 2021 Offense and Sentencing: Jeffrey Hartman pleaded guilty on 10/23/2018 to illegal voting in relation to offenses committed between 2006 and 2018.[33]Secretary of State Mac Warner, “Maryland Resident Convicted of Illegal Voting in Morgan County,” sos.wv.gov, October 26, 2018 Hartman was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment, suspended for one year of probation, and $100 fine plus associated court costs.[34]Secretary of State Mac Warner, “Maryland Resident Convicted of Illegal Voting in Morgan County,” sos.wv.gov, October 26, 2018 | “Jeffrey Hartman, 73, of Westminster, Maryland, plead guilty to illegal voting in the Morgan County Magistrate Court on Tuesday [10/23/2018]. The investigation, conducted by West Virginia Secretary of State Investigator Gary Harmison, revealed Hartman was registered to vote in both West Virginia and Maryland. Hartman had cast ballots nine times in both states since 2006.”[35]Secretary of State Mac Warner, “Maryland Resident Convicted of Illegal Voting in Morgan County,” sos.wv.gov, October 26, 2018 Case Notes: Case Number: Not Found | Type of Election: Presidential Party Affiliation: Republican Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal Republican vote |
| 10. | Election Year: 2016 Name: Carson Lee Tuttle Party Affiliation: Republican[36]Response from Senior Elections Specialist, West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, August 16, 2021 Offense and Sentencing: Carson Lee Tuttle pleaded guilty on 9/28/2017 to one count of “illegal voting; deceiving voters” in relation to an offense committed on 11/8/2016.[37]Magistrate Court of Cabell County, West Virginia, State of West Virginia v. Carson Lee Tuttle, Case Number: 17-M06M-04916 – Complaint and Judgement Tuttle was sentenced on the same day to a fine of $100 plus $160.25 in associated costs.[38]Magistrate Court of Cabell County, West Virginia, State of West Virginia v. Carson Lee Tuttle, Case Number: 17-M06M-04916 – Complaint and Judgement | “Carson Lee Tuttle voted by absentee ballot in Cabell County, West Virginia, and in person in Franklin County, Ohio, in the 2016 general election. … Tuttle admitted to an investigator that he had voted twice and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor illegal voting charge.”[39]Heritage Foundation, “Voter Fraud Report – Carson Lee Tuttle,” heritage.org, accessed on May 12, 2022 Case Notes: State of West Virginia v. Carson Lee Tuttle Case Number: 17-M06M-04916 Complaint and Judgement | Type of Election: Presidential Party Affiliation: Republican Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal Republican vote |
| 11. | Election Year: 2016 Name: Samuel Quintin Firn [on Complaint] / Samuel Quentin Firn [on Judgement Order] Party Affiliation: Not Found[40]According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Samuel Firn pleaded guilty[41]Magistrate Court of Marion County, West Virginia, “Case ID: 17-M24M-00778 (TR) – State of West Virginia v. Samuel Quentin Firn,” – Judgement Order to one misdemeanor count of illegal voting – knowingly voting more than once in the 2016 primary election.[42]Magistrate Court of Marion County, West Virginia, “State of West Virginia v. Firn, Samuel Quintin,” – Criminal Complaint Firn was sentenced on 8/1/2017 to a $100 fine plus $165.25 in associated fees.[43]Magistrate Court of Marion County, West Virginia, “Case ID: 17-M24M-00778 (TR) – State of West Virginia v. Samuel Quentin Firn,” – Judgement Order | “On or about 5/10/2016,… the defendant [Samuel Firn] did … knowingly vote more than once in the same election, to-wit: Primary Election of 2016. … The records indicate the Defendant voted at the Smithtown Building in Monongalia County at 1:17p.m., and later voted at the Eastdale Elementary in Marion County. The defendant admitted to double voting consistent with records.”[44]Magistrate Court of Marion County, West Virginia, “State of West Virginia v. Firn, Samuel Quintin,” – Criminal Complaint Case Notes: State of West Virginia v. Samuel Quintin Firn / Samuel Quentin Firn Case Number: 17-M24M-00778 (TR) Criminal Complaint and Judgement Order | Type of Election: Primary Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal vote in a Primary, party unknown / No effect on Congressional or Presidential elections |
| 12. | Election Year: 2016 Name: Isac Dakuyo Party Affiliation: Not Found[45]According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or … Continue reading Offense and Sentencing: Isac Dakuyo was charged in March 2018 with one felony count of perjury after he “illegally registered and voted in the 2016 election.”[46]Parkersburg News and Sentinel, “Man Charged for False Voter Registration,” newsandsentinel.com, March 10, 2018. Dakuyo pleaded no contest on 3/21/2019 to a reduced misdemeanor charge of false swearing and on 6/17/2019 was placed on one year of supervised probation as part of a deferred adjudication order.[47]Circuit Court of Berkeley County, West Virginia, “State of West Virginia v. Isac Dakuyo” – Deferred Adjudication Order After successful completion of the probation, the case was dismissed.[48]Circuit Court of Berkeley County, West Virginia, “State of West Virginia v. Isac Dakuyo” – Order of Dismissal | “A non-citizen from Burkina Faso living in Martinsburg through a green card program has been charged with providing false information on a voter registration application … State investigators were alerted by Berkeley County Clerk John Small, who said Isac Dakuyo illegally registered and voted in the 2016 election. … Providing false information in the registration process is perjury and a felony under state law punisable [sic] by 1-10 years in prison.”[49]Parkersburg News and Sentinel, “Man Charged for False Voter Registration,” newsandsentinel.com, March 10, 2018 Case Notes: State of West Virginia v. Isac Dakuyo Case Number: CC-02-2018-F-316 Complaint, Deferred Adjudication Order, and Order of Dismissal | Type of Election: Presidential Party Affiliation: Not Found Theoretical Election Effect: 1 illegal vote, party unknown |
References
| ↑1, ↑12, ↑15, ↑18 | According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or Other. Source: West Virginia Secretary of State, “West Virginia Voter Registration Application,” sos.wv.gov, accessed on May 12, 2022 |
|---|---|
| ↑2, ↑3 | Samantha Cavali, “Vienna Woman Sentenced for Election Fraud Stemming from Vienna Municipal Election,” wtap.com, October 18, 2022 |
| ↑4, ↑8, ↑40, ↑45 | According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or Other. Source: West Virginia Secretary of State, “West Virginia Voter Registration Application,” sos.wv.gov, accessed on May 12, 2022 |
| ↑5, ↑6, ↑7 | My Buckhannon, “Kanawha County Woman Sentenced in Voter Registration Fraud Case,” mybuckhannon.com, November 19, 2021 |
| ↑9 | MetroNews Staff, “Pendleton County Mail Carrier Sentenced in Election Fraud Case,” wvmetronews.com, June 21, 2021 |
| ↑10 | U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia, “Pendleton County Mail Carrier Sentenced for Attempted Election Fraud,” justice.gov, June 21, 2021 |
| ↑11 | David Mack, “A Mail Carrier Took People’s Absentee Ballot Requests and Switched Their Party to Republican,” buzzfeednews.com, July 9, 2020 |
| ↑13, ↑14 | The Associated Press, “West Virginia Man to Pay $1,000 Fine for Casting Two Mail-In Ballots in 2020 Election,” wsaz.com, May 26, 2023 |
| ↑16, ↑17 | Brad Johnson, “Randolph County Man Pleads Guilty to Voter Fraud,” wvpublic.org, August 30, 2023 |
| ↑19 | State of West Virginia v. Jack Wilson Vaughan, Case Number: 23-M-70, Sentencing Order |
| ↑20 | WV Press Release Sharing, “WV Secretary of State Warner Announces Conviction of Kanawha County Man for Illegal Voting in 2020 General Election,” wvpress.org, September 19, 2023 |
| ↑21, ↑27 | Response from Senior Elections Specialist, West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, August 16, 2021. According to West Virginia Voter Registration form, voters can provide party affiliation when they register to vote. The options are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Mountain, No Party, or Other. Source: West Virginia Secretary of State, “West Virginia Voter Registration Application,” sos.wv.gov, accessed on May 12, 2022 |
| ↑22, ↑25 | Kelsie LeRose, “Utah Woman Enters Plea After Voting in Harpers Ferry Election,” journal-news.net, February 11, 2020 |
| ↑23, ↑24 | Matthew Umstead, “Mayor’s Daughter Guilty of Illegal Voting Harpers Ferry Election,” heraldmailmedia.com, July 12, 2020 |
| ↑26 | Mongolia County Republican Executive Committee, “Republican Slate for Monongalia County,” moncountygop.com, accessed on May 18, 2022 |
| ↑28, ↑29 | Staff Reports, WV News, “Secretary of State Warner Announces Conviction in Morgantown West Virginia City Council Election Fraud Case,” wvnews.com, January 21, 2021 |
| ↑30 | Samantha Casano, “Warner Announces Conviction in Morgantown Election Fraud Case,” woay.com, January 21, 2021 |
| ↑31 | Hartman had cast ballots nine times in both West Virginia and Maryland between 2006 and 2018. – Source: Secretary of State Mac Warner, “Maryland Resident Convicted of Illegal Voting in Morgan County,” sos.wv.gov, October 26, 2018 |
| ↑32 | Email response from Official Election Team at the Carroll County Board of Elections, Maryland, on August 19, 2021 |
| ↑33, ↑34, ↑35 | Secretary of State Mac Warner, “Maryland Resident Convicted of Illegal Voting in Morgan County,” sos.wv.gov, October 26, 2018 |
| ↑36 | Response from Senior Elections Specialist, West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, August 16, 2021 |
| ↑37, ↑38 | Magistrate Court of Cabell County, West Virginia, State of West Virginia v. Carson Lee Tuttle, Case Number: 17-M06M-04916 – Complaint and Judgement |
| ↑39 | Heritage Foundation, “Voter Fraud Report – Carson Lee Tuttle,” heritage.org, accessed on May 12, 2022 |
| ↑41, ↑43 | Magistrate Court of Marion County, West Virginia, “Case ID: 17-M24M-00778 (TR) – State of West Virginia v. Samuel Quentin Firn,” – Judgement Order |
| ↑42, ↑44 | Magistrate Court of Marion County, West Virginia, “State of West Virginia v. Firn, Samuel Quintin,” – Criminal Complaint |
| ↑46, ↑49 | Parkersburg News and Sentinel, “Man Charged for False Voter Registration,” newsandsentinel.com, March 10, 2018 |
| ↑47 | Circuit Court of Berkeley County, West Virginia, “State of West Virginia v. Isac Dakuyo” – Deferred Adjudication Order |
| ↑48 | Circuit Court of Berkeley County, West Virginia, “State of West Virginia v. Isac Dakuyo” – Order of Dismissal |