Victorville Man Indicted for Paying Skid Row Residents to Forge Signatures on California Ballot Petitions
Prosecutors say the defendants paid Skid Row signers with stolen voter identities and received about $41,600 from petition coordinators.
- On Thursday, federal authorities arrested James Brass, 47, of Victorville, charging him and two associates with paying people on Skid Row to sign California ballot petitions using stolen voter identities.
- Between February and August 2026, the defendants allegedly used a database to identify registered California voters, then paid individuals on Skid Row to fraudulently copy their personal information onto ballot petitions.
- The indictment alleges Brass received approximately $41,600 for the operation and identifies co-defendants Courtney Price, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Jateisha Herron, 33, of Boron, California, as signature collectors.
- First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli labeled the case "California Election Fraud," while FBI Assistant Director Patrick Grandy stated the scheme "sought to undermine an essential pillar of our democracy."
- Each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
39 Articles
39 Articles
FBI Arrests 'Lord' in LA Skid Row Voter Fraud Scheme
Federal agents arrested the alleged ringleader of a months-long identity fraud scheme on Los Angeles' Skid Row, where prosecutors say homeless individuals were paid to sign ballot petitions under the names of real registered voters. James Brass, 47, known on the street as "Lord," was taken into federal custody early Thursday in Victorville, California, a […]
California’s Ballot Petition Racket Just Got Caught
Somewhere in Sacramento a legislative staffer is drafting a press release about “the will of the people.” Down on Skid Row, the will of the people goes for two or three dollars a signature, cash, no questions asked, and you don’t even need to be a registered voter. You just need to be willing to sign somebody else’s name. That is the plain reading of a federal indictment unsealed this week in Riverside against James Brass, 47, of Victorville, wh…
Victorville Man Indicted for Paying Skid Row Residents to Forge Signatures on California Ballot Petitions
A San Bernardino County man was arrested today on a federal grand jury indictment charging him and two other defendants with paying people on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles […] The post Victorville Man Indicted for Paying Skid Row Residents to Forge Signatures on California Ballot Petitions appeared first on edhat.
"Skid Row residents were paid to sign ballot petitions with stolen identities, feds charge" #ELB
LAT: Federal authorities arrested a Victorville man on Thursday, charging him and two others with paying people on Skid Row to sign petitions using the stolen identities of registered voters. James Brass, 47, of Victorville allegedly managed a team of … Continue reading “Skid Row residents were paid to sign ballot petitions with stolen identities, feds charge” →
Three people charged with paying homeless in Los Angeles to sign petitions with stolen identities
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.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium




























