Victorville Man Charged in Election Fraud Case

Federal authorities have taken action against a man from Victorville, arresting him on charges related to election fraud activities. James Brass, aged 47, is accused, along with two others, of employing individuals in Skid Row to sign petitions using stolen identities of registered voters.

According to the federal indictment issued on Wednesday, Brass oversaw a team of petition collectors and participated in collecting signatures for ballot petitions intended to influence California law. Known by the nickname ‘Lord,’ Brass was linked to a company named Pinnacle Brass LLC. He is scheduled for his initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon in Riverside federal court.

Efforts to get comments from Brass’s deputy federal public defender were unsuccessful. Two petition circulators, alleged associates of Brass, have also faced charges in the indictment. Courtney Price, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Jateisha Herron, 33, of Boron, California, have not been arrested yet, and attempts to reach them for comment were unsuccessful.

The trio is charged with conspiracy to commit identity fraud as part of a state felony. Additionally, Brass and Price face separate charges of identity fraud. If found guilty, they could face up to five years in prison for each count. Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney, called the case ‘California Election Fraud’ in a social media post.

‘The charged conduct undermines the confidence voters have in our election systems,’ Essayli stated in a news release, pledging thorough investigation and prosecution of all involved parties.

The indictment elaborates on the initiative process defined in the state Constitution, allowing citizens to bypass the legislature and directly enact statutes or amendments. To qualify for the ballot, proponents of initiatives need a substantial number of signatures from registered voters who support the measure.

Typically, these initiatives involve hiring petition management companies to gather signatures. From February to August, Brass, Price, and Herron allegedly accessed a database to identify registered voters. They then utilized this data, paying individuals in Skid Row to falsify petitions using the stolen voter identities. Brass and Herron allegedly signed declarations on these petitions, falsely claiming they witnessed genuine signatures from voters.

The fraudulent petitions were submitted to petition coordinators to receive payments. Brass allegedly secured approximately $41,600 through coordinators working with a petition management company.