Friday, March 2, 2012

Wisconsin man faces 50 years in prison and a $90,000 fine on charges of forging signatures on recall petitions.

Man facing charges for allegedly forging signatures on Wanggaard recall petitions - including dead man's - Journal Times
Discussion at Althouse

Court records indicate Mark Demet, 59, of the 2400 block of Arlington Avenue, will face a 9-count complaint including two counts of election fraud and seven counts felony personal ID theft. All the charges are felonies and expose him to a potential 50 years in prison and a $90,000 fine....

Court documents say Demet admitted to an investigator that he circulated the petitions against state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, in question and signed the names of other people, one of whom is dead. That was Ralph Petersen whose wife Violet was also fraudulently listed on a petition, according to the criminal complaint. Seven people listed on recall petitions told sheriff’s investigators they did not sign. The petition sheets also carried Demet’s signature. As the circulator of those pages he testified to the accuracy of the information they contained.