California petition worker arrested for allegedly paying people to forge voter signs
James Brass, a California petition worker, was arrested for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to pay homeless individuals in Los Angeles' Skid Row to forge voter signatures. Prosecutors state that Brass and two associates used public databases to identify registered voters and instructed the participants to duplicate their identities on ballot petitions. The trio faces charges of conspiracy to commit identity fraud, with Brass also charged with identity fraud, after allegedly earning $41,000 from the operation.
- ▪James Brass, Courtney Price, and Jateisha Herron were charged with conspiracy to commit identity fraud for forging voter signatures.
- ▪The defendants allegedly paid people in Skid Row to use the identities of registered voters found in public databases to sign petitions.
- ▪Brass allegedly concealed the true location of the signature collection by instructing associates to reference Inglewood and Torrance instead of downtown Los Angeles.
- ▪Brass pocketed $41,000 from the scheme and has pleaded not guilty while being released on a $10,000 bond.
- ▪Prosecutors stated that the conduct undermines voter confidence in election systems and follows similar incidents involving petition canvassers in San Francisco.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — US |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/11/california-petition-worker-arrested-identity-fraud |
| Publication time | Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:09:51 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-11T22:18:35.327Z |
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Tents and tarps along the sidewalks in the Skid Row area of LA, California, on 4 June 2019. Photograph: Mike Blake/ReutersView image in fullscreenTents and tarps along the sidewalks in the Skid Row area of LA, California, on 4 June 2019. Photograph: Mike Blake/ReutersLos AngelesCalifornia petition worker arrested for allegedly paying people to forge voter signsProsecutors say James Brass orchestrated scheme to pay people on LA’s Skid Row to duplicate registered voters’ signaturesUwa Ede-OsifoFri 11 Sep 2026 18.09 EDTLast modified on Fri 11 Sep 2026 18.11 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleA California ballot petition worker has been arrested and charged with identity fraud for allegedly paying people on Los Angeles’ Skid Row to forge the signatures of registered voters.Prosecutors say…
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