MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Authorities arrested three paid petition circulators last week for fraudulent use of personal identification information, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced in a press release Monday.
LaShaya Denice Pierce, 33, of Tallahassee, Arterria Bernay McCutcheon, 31, of Daytona Beach, and Nelson Judah Stone, 26, of Apopka, are facing a total of 19 felony counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information, fraudulent use of personal identification information of a deceased individual, false swearing and two misdemeanor counts of signing a petition more than once, according to the FDLE.
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The FDLE said that all three suspects submitted multiple petitions with fraudulent signatures and that the same voter information appeared on multiple petitions or had no voter information on record for the individual who signed the petition.
After conducting multiple interviews and securing social media search warrants, FDLE Tallahassee agents found that Pierce falsified petitions and used the personal identification information of social media users without their consent.
According to authorities, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections provided FDLE copies of suspected fraudulent petitions submitted by the paid petition circulators which contained signatures for individuals who passed away.
FDLE inspectors said investigators reviewed and identified additional fraudulent petitions containing the names and signatures of deceased individuals that were submitted to the Miami-Dade, Broward and Orange County Supervisors of Elections for multiple constitutional amendment initiatives.
Detectives said Pierce was booked into the Leon County Jail on a $38,000 bond, Stone was booked into the Seminole County Jail on a $22,500 bond and McCutcheon was booked into the Volusia County Jail on a $45,000 bond.
The cases will be prosecuted by Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, according to the FDLE.
The Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS), and the Leon, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward County Supervisors of Elections assisted in the investigations, according to authorities.