Pasco Landlord, Building Owner, Gets 3 Month Sentence for Voter Fraud
The suspicious activity began in 2024, when election officials were alerted about an 'interesting' ballot in Franklin County.
The Ballot in Question Began to be Looked at October 14th of 2024
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office was asked to investigate a suspicious and irregular ballot that had been submitted, by the defendant, 53-year-old Esperranza Contreras.
According to the Franklin County Sheriff's Office, they learned Contreras, who still owns a building in Pasco, had moved to Oregon, but still filled out and submitted her Franklin County Ballot. The investigation also revealed she filled out and submitted 4 ballots intended for former tenants who lived in her building.
When Contacted The Tenants Were Alarmed
The former tenants were alarmed and surprised to find their ballots had been filled out for the 2024 Presidential Election, and signed and submitted without their knowing. The former tenants didn't find out until they tried themselves to vote and learned they 'already had.' That ramped up the investigation that had already begun over Contreras' own Franklin County vote.
The investigation revealed instead of notifying election officials, or the former tenants about the ballots that arrived for them, Contreras took it upon herself to cast them
Voter Fraud is a Felony
The four charges can result in up to a year in jail, but prosecutors and the defense agreed on a three-month work release program which will be conducted through Benton County, as Franklin doesn't have a work release program. Officials did not provide information as to why the defendant chose to fill out and fraudulently submit the ballots.
Contreras will begin her jail program October 8th.
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