Three Indicted In Hamilton County Voter Fraud Case
March 11, 2013
A Hamilton County Grand Jury has indicted three people for allegedly casting illegal votes in this past presidential election.
Melowese Richardson, admitted to
WCPO she voted twice and submitted absentee ballots for several other people as well. If convicted, the prosecutor says she faces up to 12 years in prison.
Russell Glassop is charged with voting on behalf of his deceased wife.
Another woman,
Sister Marguerite Kloos, faces up to 18 months in jail if convicted. She is accused of voting on behalf of another nun who had already died. She was indicted based on information from the prosecutor. Her attorney contacted the prosecutor and said she intends to plead guilty, so a grand jury indictment wasn't necessary.
Prosecutor Joe Deters says individual votes are important and people need to have faith in the system.
"The charges should let people know that this is not North Korea," he says.
Republican Party Chair and Board of Elections member Alex Triantafilou says he believes the voter fraud is more widespread than even these limited indictments. He says, "...we're going to continue to investigate."
The prosecutor's office is looking into three other cases of possible voter fraud and more charges may be coming. This follows days of discussion at the Hamilton County Board of Elections as
reported by WVXU in February.
Democrat and Board of Elections Chair Tim Burke says there is another issue that is still hanging out there and he wants it resolved by the prosecutor. "Whether or not there is anything wrong with those people who voted an absentee ballot and then also went to their poll on election day and voted a provisional ballot." He says that's legal and these people didn't do anything wrong.
Poll Worker Accused Of Voter Fraud In Hamilton County Speaks Out
February 6, 2013
The Hamilton County Board of Elections is investigating 19 possible cases of alleged voter fraud following months of investigation after the 2012 election.
Twenty-eight subpoenas have been issued as a result of the investigation, which includes 19 Hamilton County voters and nine witnesses who still need to answer questions to satisfy the board.
The board started with 80 suspicious cases and now is down to 19. Officials say the majority of the cases turned out to be simple misunderstandings.
Melowese Richardson, a Madisonville resident, first learned of the allegations when approached by 9 On Your Side reporter Tom McKee Wednesday. Even though she admits to voting twice in the last election, she said the news came as surprise.
"I would think that something this important would come to me first and that I wouldn't have to be enlightened about this through you," said Richardson.
According to county documents, Richardson's absentee ballot was accepted on Nov. 1, 2012 along with her signature. On Nov. 11, she told an official she also voted at a precinct because she was afraid her absentee ballot would not be counted in time.
"There's absolutely no intent on my part to commit voter fraud," said Richardson.
According to BOE records, her name appeared on an absentee ballot list prior to Election Day. The board's report states poll workers should have updated the signature poll book by flagging "absentee voter" next to the names of those who appeared on the list. Upon investigation it was found that none of the voters who appeared on the list were flagged, which included Richardson. The staff could not locate that supplemental list when asked.
Richardson voted at the Madisonville Recreation Center where she worked as a paid worker on Election Day.
She has worked the polls since 1988. Richardson said in her youth she would accompany her mother, who also worked at the polls, even though she wasn't old enough to vote at the time.
"I, after registering thousands of people, certainly wanted my vote to count. So, I voted. I voted at the poll," she said.
The board's documents also state that Richardson was allegedly disruptive and hid things from other poll workers on Election Day after another female worker reported she was intimated by Richardson.
However, Richardson claims she was the one intimidated while doing her job.
"I think I was intimidated because she's new and wasn't doing her job very efficiently and like I said, I've been working the polls for several years. I let her know how it should have been taken care of," said Richardson.
During the investigation it was also discovered that her granddaughter, India Richardson, who was a first time voter in the 2012 election, cast two ballots in November.
Documents show when India was contacted on Jan. 17 concerning the two ballots, she denied voting absentee.
She stated, "No, my grandmother filled that out and voted my ballot because she didn't think I would go do it, but I did. I voted provisionally at my polling place on Election Day," according to the report.
Richardson admitted to sending one of her granddaughter's ballots in the mail.
"I did let her know that I was getting the absentee ballot for her and sending it in. I had to get her Social Security number for that. I assumed she forgot or was just excited and she went to the polls herself," said Richardson.
Another claim is absentee ballots for Montez Richardson, Joseph Jones and Markus Barron all came from Richardson's Whetsel Avenue address and were received by the board at the same time as Richardson's. The handwriting on all four of them was similar, according to officials.
"Markus Barron lives here. Joseph Jones is my brother. He's here from time-to-time. I am Montez's power-of-attorney. I voted for her in her absence," said Richardson.
She said she thought all of the votes were legal. The matter may still wind up before the Hamilton County prosecutor.
"Have they never heard of a simple mistake? Have they never heard of overlooking? Mailing in a ballot or registering to vote at a precinct after you've forgotten that you mailed in a ballot?" said Richardson.
Two hearings will take place Feb. 15 and Feb. 22 where those accused will have a chance to speak. Richardson's case will be heard Feb. 22 and she says it's far from over.
"Absolutely. Absolutely, I'll fight it for Mr. Obama and for Mr. Obama's right to sit as president of the United States."
To view all possible fraud cases linked to last year's election visit
http://media2.wcpo.com/pdfs/Fraud.pdf.
Nun Suspected Of Voting For Dead Sister
February 21, 2013
A Cincinnati nun is being investigated for illegally casting an absentee ballot for another Sister of Charity who died before last November's election.
Sister Rose Marie Hewitt, a 78-year-old Sister of Charity, died Oct. 4 - the same day the Hamilton County Board of Elections mailed her absentee ballot and about 60,000 others to persons around the county who had requested them.
The board of elections received a completed absentee ballot on Oct. 11, with what purported to be Hewitt's signature. It was dated Oct. 3 - the day before she died and the day before absentee ballots were mailed out.
Officials believe it was sent by another local Sister of Charity who was a friend of Hewitt and lives at the same Delhi Township voting address. WVXU is not naming the nun, because no charges have been filed.
But, in a Tuesday letter to the Hamilton County Board of Elections, county prosecutor Joe Deters said "sufficient information has been developed with respect to (the Hewitt vote) to determine that there is probably cause to believe that criminal activity has occurred."
"No further investigation by the board of elections should be undertaken with respect to allegations related to Ms. Hewitt,'' Deters wrote to the board.
Amy Searcy, director of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, said the situation was discovered last week when the board received a list they routinely receive from the Ohio Secretary of State's office of persons who had died. The secretary of state collects the information from the state board of health and distributes it to county election boards so they can purge their rolls of dead voters.
"That's when it was discovered that the sister had mailed in a ballot, which we received after she had died,'' Searcy said.
The situation with Sister Rose Marie Hewitt comes in the middle of a board investigation into about 20 Hamilton County voters who may have illegally voted twice in the November election.
Friday, the board will interview a second group of those voters under oath. The Hewitt situation will not come up in that meeting. The board may soon forward other names to the prosecutor for possible prosecution.
Prosecutor Now Has Six Double Voter Cases
February 22, 2013
Information about six people accused of voting more than once this past presidential election in Hamilton County is now in the hands of the Prosecutor's Office.
The only case where two votes were actually counted involves poll worker Melowese Richardson who
told Channel 9 in an earlier interview she voted absentee and then in person.
"I, after registering thousands of people, certainly wanted my vote to count, so I voted."
Richardson said she didn't think the Hamilton County Board of Election would get her absentee ballot and that's why she voted again. She is also accused of helping four other people vote twice, frustrating Board Chair Tim Burke.
"Melowese Richardson was able to take advantage of her position as an inside poll worker to cast a second vote that did in fact get counted cause we had no way of determining that by a staff review. That's the only instance where an individual got two votes case in her own name."
Richardson's case was one of those referred to the prosecutor. The prosecutor also has information on five other suspect cases. However it's unclear if any more will be referred. Burke and board member Alex Triantafilou disagree but are waiting for a clarification from the prosecutor's office.
Only three of thirteen people subpoenaed today showed up for questioning by the board.
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