Elected NJ official and campaign staff accused of stealing, forging ballots

🔺NJ official accused of election fraud
🔺Case wears on, years later
🔺State files new charges

New charges have been filed against an embattled elected city official in Paterson, facing allegations of forging ballots in election fraud five years ago.

City Council President Alex Mendez, his wife and two campaign workers, plus another Paterson resident, are accused of stealing and forging ballots and voter registrations in order to help Mendez win Paterson’s nonpartisan municipal election in May 2020.

Alex Mendez, a registered Democrat, was first indicted in 2021 for election-related offenses.

Following initial charges, the Passaic County Board of Elections decided not to count 800 ballots cast in the race and a judge ordered a new election.

Mendez still won a tight race in November 2020, despite the pending criminal charges.

He has continued to serve on the city council, repeatedly denying allegations and entering a not guilty plea in court.

Additional charges were filed in October 2023, based on an investigation by the state Office of Public Integrity and Accountability, against Mendez, his wife, Yohanny Mendez and campaign staffers Omar Ledesma and Iris Rigo.

Read More: Paterson councilmen indicted in election fraud case

The 10-count superseding indictment announced on Wednesday added two new third-degree charges of theft and receiving stolen property against the four defendants, all involving hundreds of mail-in ballots found in a postal box in the neighboring town of Haledon.

At the time of the election, all voting was by mail because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

New third-degree charges have also been filed against Ninoska Adames, of Paterson, of hindering apprehension or prosecution and tampering with public records or information.

Adames allegedly falsified a voter certificate on a vote-by-mail ballot and gave false information to detectives during the fraud investigation, prosecutors said.

Both Mendezes, Ledesma and Rigo have also been charged with witness tampering. They previously faced charges including tampering with public records or information, falsifying or tampering with records, forgery and election fraud.

“As alleged, this case is not simply about a city council seat. The people’s right to vote and to have their voices heard was subverted by what we allege to be an unlawful conspiracy,” Attorney General Matthew Platkin said.

“This was unfair to the voters of Paterson. It was, as the grand jury charged, fraud and theft,” Platkin added.

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