City Council president Alex Mendez has been brought up on new charges in connection with an election fraud case that dates back to the 2020 municipal elections. His wife and campaign workers have been charged with criminal offenses for their roles in allegedly trying to “rig” the election in Mendez’s favor.
Mendez, 48, of Paterson, has been charged with conspiracy to commit election fraud, fraud in casting mail-in vote, unauthorized possession of ballots, tampering with public records, falsifying or tampering with records, forgery, conspiracy/tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, soliciting or procuring or assisting unlawful registration and other violations of election law, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
Yohanny Mendez, 48, of Paterson, has been charged with conspiracy to commit election fraud, fraud in casting mail-in vote, soliciting or procuring or assisting unlawful registration and other violations of election law, and conspiracy to commit witness tampering.
Omar Ledesma, 35 of Paterson, conspiracy to commit election fraud, fraud in casting mail-in vote, unauthorized possession of ballots, fraudulent voting/interference with election, tampering with public records, falsifying or tampering with records, forgery, and soliciting or procuring or assisting unlawful registration and other violations of election law.
Iris Rigo, 38, of Paterson, conspiracy to commit election fraud, fraud in casting mail-in vote, unauthorized possession of ballots, tampering with public records, falsifying or tampering with records, forgery, willfully suppressing records, and soliciting or procuring or assisting unlawful registration and other violations of election law.
“The defendants are accused of attempting to rig an election in their favor and to deprive the voters of Paterson of having their voices heard,” said New Jersey attorney general Matt Platkin. “The functioning of democracy relies on voters’ trust that their votes count and those votes determine the outcomes of elections.”
Mendez was first charged in 2020 and indicted in 2021. His charges spring from the May 2020 municipal elections when he challenged longtime councilman William McKoy of the 3rd Ward.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service tipped off the Attorney General’s Office after discovering hundreds of mail-in ballots from the May 2020 Paterson municipal election were found in a mailbox in neighboring Haledon. At the time voters were required to use mail-in ballots to cast their votes due to COVID-19 safety measures.
It is alleged that Mendez illicitly gathered a number of mail-in ballots from the 3rd Ward, violating the Vote-By-Mail Law. New Jersey allows a voter to hand their filled ballot to a “bearer,” who must certify it before handing it to the county board of elections. However, candidates can’t act as bearers in their own elections.
It’s claimed that numerous ballots collected by the campaign weren’t sealed by voters. Additionally, once these ballots reached Mendez’s campaign headquarters, they were checked to determine if they voted for Mendez. If not in favor of Mendez, it’s alleged his wife, Yohanny Mendez, would swap it with one supporting Mendez. The substitute ballots are believed to have been stolen from mailboxes, especially in areas supporting Mendez’s rival, McKoy. Ledesma, an associate of Mendez, is implicated in this theft.
Ledesma is accused of taking ballots out of mailboxes and apartment buildings. He allegedly targeted parts of the 3rd Ward known to support McKoy.
Furthermore, if a ballot was incomplete, campaign workers allegedly filled them out. On May 5, 2020, Mendez reportedly watched as a bag brimming with ballots was dropped into a Haledon mailbox. A week after, his campaign lawyer pushed the Passaic County Board of Elections to consider these ballots, despite knowing their dubious origins. State regulations allow a bearer to carry only three ballots, or five if they’re from immediate family in the same home.
After being indicted for election fraud in February 2021, recordings apparently captured Alex Mendez, Yohanny Mendez, and others plotting to influence witnesses to support Mendez’s defense.
“We allege that Mendez and his associates unlawfully collected ballots and tampered with ballots to give him an unfair edge in the race for the 3rd Ward seat on the Paterson City Council,” said Thomas Eicher, the Executive Director of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. “He then allegedly set about undermining our investigation into his and his campaign workers’ unlawful activities. I’m grateful for the many additional months of work the investigative team invested in pursuing evidence of potential witness tampering. Their efforts uncovered more illegal conduct by these defendants, culminating in these new charges.”
