Devine Announces Election Fraud Charges

State’s Attorney Richard Devine announced today that a former election judge and her husband have been charged with theft, mutilation of election materials and forgery, for falsely performing the duties of an election judge and cashing checks for working in four Cook County elections. Additionally, two other persons were charged with voting more than once in the March 2006 primary election in Chicago and Cicero.

The investigations were carried out in cooperation with the Cook County Clerk’s office and the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners.

“When individuals take it upon themselves to violate the code, and break the law, it jeopardizes the integrity of the system,” said Devine. “We want voters in Cook County to know that we take election fraud very seriously, and it will not be tolerated.”

Sylvia Garza, 48, of 5646 S. Nashville Ave., Chicago, was employed as an election judge with the Office of the Cook County Clerk on each of the four elections: Nov. 2, 2004, Feb. 22, 2005, April 5, 2005 and March 21, 2006 and was assigned to work as a judge of election in a polling place in Cicero, Illinois for each of those elections.

She completed a training program with the Clerk’s office regarding procedures for judges of election to follow and proper use of election equipment. Garza never reported to her assigned polling place in Cicero on those dates and never performed her duties as a judge of election. Sylvia Garza is charged with theft, a Class 3 felony that carries a possible prison term of up to five years.

Garza’s husband, Rafael, 53, of the same address, never received any training from election authorities related to performing activities as an election judge but he appeared at the polling place in Cicero, where his wife was assigned and acted as an election judge. Without authorization or training, he touched, handled, marked, and distributed election materials on those four election dates.

Additionally, Rafael Garza also signed the name and initials of his wife on election materials and removed election materials to a Cook County receiving station. He is charged with theft, mutilation of election materials and forgery. He faces up to 5 years in prison.

The Cook County Clerk’s office issued checks to Sylvia Garza for the above election dates. Those checks totaled $700 and were mailed to the Garzas’ home. Rafael Garza signed his wife’s signature on three checks and cashed them. Sylvia Garza endorsed one of the checks from April 2005 and Rafael Garza signed below her and then cashed that check.

“While we work very hard to make it easy for people to vote, we have to be vigilant with anybody abusing their privilege to vote,” said Cook County Clerk David Orr. “Today shows that you can vote early in Cook County, but if you try to vote often, you will be prosecuted.”

Also this week Vicente Duenes, 30, of 2912 W. North Ave., Chicago, was charged with voting more than once, a class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

According to the charges, Duenes voted on March 21, 2006 at 1701 N. Richmond St., in the 35th ward in Chicago, signing documents that verified he lived at his North Avenue address. That same day, according to the charges, he voted in Cicero at 1939 S. Lombard Ave., stating that he lived at 1925 S. Austin Blvd., in Cicero

In a similar case, Michael J. Williams, 37, of 4438 N. Artesian Ave., Chicago, was charged with voting more than once for casting a ballot at 5035 N. Lincoln Ave., using his Artesian address, and then also casting a ballot that same day at 80 W. Northwest Highway, Palatine, stating that he lived at 719 Deer Run Dr., Palatine

On Election Day, February 27, the State’s Attorney’s Office will tour polling places and respond to complaints of election fraud. If you suspect fraud on Election Day, contact the State’s Attorney’s Office at 312-603-7960.

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