Posted on 07/31/2003 9:45:55 AM PDT by Stew Padasso
5 indicted on charges of buying votes
Long federal sentences at stake in election case
GREG LACOUR Staff Writer
A federal grand jury indicted five people Wednesday on charges they conspired to pay Caldwell County residents for their votes in last year's November election.
The indictment alleges that, during early voting from Oct. 29 through Oct. 31, the five paid or offered to pay seven people $25 apiece to vote straight Republican tickets or at least for Republican sheriff's candidate Gary Clark. One person was offered $25 but wasn't paid, and another was paid a total of $35 -- $10 to register, $25 to vote, according to the indictment.
The indictment, handed down in U.S. District Court in Statesville, represents the first criminal charges in the vote-buying case, which tarnished the sheriff's and commissioners' election results, delayed the swearing-in of Clark and commissioner Tim Sanders and gripped the county's residents for months.
There's no indication Clark, who took office as sheriff in February, or any other public official knew of the vote-buying scheme. The FBI and State Bureau of Investigation continue to look into allegations of vote-buying before the Nov. 5 election, said U.S. Attorney Bob Conrad.
The five accused face maximum sentences of between 10 and 35 years in prison. No arraignment or trial date has been set, and the defendants probably will be served with the indictment within the next two weeks, said a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Charlotte.
Those charged are Wayne Shatley, 60, of Lenoir; Anita Moore, 44, of Marion; Valerie Moore, 46, of Lenoir; Richard Hood, 57, of Lenoir; and Ross Banner, 48, of Marion.
The vast majority of these cases are on the other side of the isle and this is what I read.
Yes absolutely! In fact I think if the case is big enough (Massive voter fraud in a federal election) then the penalty ought to be death! This would slow down the shenanigans at the polling place real damn quick!
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