A scheming crew submitted practically two dozen fraudulent absentee ballots to spice up a candidate throughout a 2023 Metropolis Council main — together with the would-be politician’s daughter, prosecutors stated Thursday.
Six individuals who had labored as volunteers for Yu-Ching James Pai allegedly concocted the plot to spice up him in his run for the GOP nomination to signify District 20 in Flushing, in keeping with a press release from Queens District Legal professional Melinda Katz.
Pai’s daughter Sydnee Pai, 19, was indicted on voter fraud fees alongside Li Zhen Wan, 46; Yee Ping Yam, 53; Lisbeth Cheng, 24; Crystal You, 20; and one other one that was not named.
“This indictment was the outcomes of a long-term investigation into an absentee poll fraud scheme,” Assistant District Legal professional Gabriella Giunta stated in courtroom Thursday every time a defendant stepped up.
“This defendant has performed an element in impairing the integrity of the election course of and disenfranchising the individuals of Queens County.”
Prosecutors stated that between March 1 and June 27, 2023, every individual visited town’s Board of Elections workplace in Forest Hills, Queens, to select up absentee ballots for different registered voters.
However these voters didn’t know something about it — and the district legal professional launched an investigation after one in all them was turned away from their native polling spot in Flushing after being instructed they’d already voted.
Ultimately, the DA discovered that the defendants had nabbed absentee ballots for 23 completely different individuals and submitted them of their names — although the alleged victims had by no means signed the paperwork nor met the individuals who had been “licensed” to select up their paperwork, Katz stated.
The 5 who turned themselves in had been arraigned Thursday in Queens Supreme Court docket and charged with a litany of crimes, together with legal possession of a solid instrument, falsifying enterprise information and unlawful voting, in keeping with the assertion.
They pleaded not responsible — but when they’re convicted, they might spend as much as seven years in jail.
The defendants additionally turned of their passports, and are anticipated again in courtroom on Sept. 19.
“Our democracy depends on integrity on the voting sales space, and we won’t permit that to be compromised in Queens County,” Katz stated.
Pai gained the Republican Celebration main that summer time, securing a slender victory over opponent Danny Chen, in keeping with town’s election information.
However he was soundly overwhelmed within the normal election a number of months later, shedding to Democrat Sandra Ung — who doubled the quantity of votes Pai pulled in.
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