A man from Canada has pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts in connection with casting fraudulent votes in the primary and general elections in 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.
The illegal voting had only been recently reported to the Orange County District Attorney’s Election Fraud Hotline, according to the DOJ.
76-year-old Robert Soutar, a legal permanent resident of the U.S. who lives in Fullerton, negotiated a plea deal with officials that saw him get convicted of two counts of violating the California Elections Code for not being entitled to vote in an election and another count of voter registration fraud.
In exchange for his guilty plea, a felony count of perjury was dismissed, justice department officials said; according to the California Elections Code, people who register to vote sign the affidavit under penalty of perjury.
“Soutar, a Canadian citizen, is a legal permanent resident of the United States but is not a United States citizen, and is therefore not eligible to vote,” the DOJ said, adding that the Orange County Registrar of Voters – who Soutar registered with – does not independently verify the citizenship of individuals attempting to register to vote. “Despite being ineligible to vote due to his citizenship status, Soutar registered to vote in 2016 and illegally cast ballots in the primary and general elections.”
As part of his plea deal, Soutar agreed to remove himself from California’s voter registry, provide his DNA and pay fines and fees. He was also sentenced to one year of informal probation, and he is subject to searches and seizures during his probationary period, officials said.
He is currently registered to vote with the Orange County Registrar of Voters; however, the DOJ stated that there is no evidence at present that indicates that he voted in this year’s election.
The announcement of Soutar’s plea deal comes as voters across the country head to the polls to cast their votes for the hotly contested 2024 presidential election.
Other local races and propositions are also on the ballot; details on some of the ballot measures in L.A. County can be found here.
A man from Canada has pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts in connection with casting fraudulent votes in the primary and general elections in 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday. The illegal voting had only been recently reported to the Orange County District Attorney’s Election Fraud Hotline, according to the DOJ. 76-year-old […]
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