Federal agents on Thursday captured an accused election fraud ringleader who allegedly paid Skid Row homeless a few bucks each to sign California ballot petitions using the stolen identities of real voters.
The FBI apprehended alleged election crook James Brass, a.k.a. “Lord,” in Victorville, San Bernardino County, just before dawn.
He allegedly ran his scheme through a small company he owns called Pinnacle Brass, which is registered with the California Secretary of State.
The 47-year-old came out of his modest home around 4:45 a.m. and got into his car, surprising federal agents surveilling his residence who arrest him around 6 a.m. But the agents sprang into action tailing Brass to a nearby gas station, where they arrested him.
A short distance away, the federal agents pulled him over and took him into custody without incident.
Also charged in the two-count indictment against Brass are two petition circulators who allegedly worked for him: Courtney Price, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Jateisha Herron, 33, of Boron, California.
LA’s top federal prosecutor Bill Essayli, has said he was pursuing a slew of election fraud cases, adding Brass and his accomplices are accused of ripping off voters and skewing the democratic process.
“These defendants used stolen identities of registered voters to manufacture signatures on ballot petitions used to shape California law,” Essayli said. “They preyed on the vulnerable homeless population and used them to try to cover their tracks.”
All three defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony. Brass and Price are charged with an additional count of identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony.
It’s unclear how many fake signatures Brass and his cohorts collected and which ballot measures they worked on. Brass paid at least $41,000 for signatures he collected, it is alleged.
