ARRESTS MADE IN ELECTIONS FRAUD CASE

RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, April 23, 2008: Riverside County District Attorney Investigators arrested two women in Los Angeles County for numerous violations of elections fraud. Remi Janee Haynes, 22, of Gardena, and Taralyn Maria Bentley, 27, of Azusa, were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. Bail is set at $25,000.

“As elected officials, it’s important for the Democratic process to have integrity and be free from corruption,” said District Attorney Rod Pacheco. “We value the collaborative efforts with the Secretary of State and look forward to working together on future cases,” Pacheco went on to say.

Haynes and Bentley were charged on March 6, 2008 with 26 felony counts including placing fictitious names on an initiative petition, filing a false document, and perjury.

Haynes and Bentley were hired by Burkett Petition Management to obtain signatures on an initiative petition that was attempting to qualify for the ballot. Instead of collecting signatures as required, Haynes and Bentley went through the telephone book and randomly placed names, address, and signed the petitions themselves. The falsified petitions were then submitted to Burkett Petition Management.

Burkett Petition Management alerted the Secretary of State’s Election Fraud Investigation Unit to the suspected falsifications in April, 2005. The fraud unit investigated for more than 18 months, and Riverside District Attorney Investigators expanded the probe for another year.

“Elections fraud cannot and will not be tolerated in California,” said Secretary of State Debra Bowen, California’s chief elections fraud officer. “I want to thank Riverside County for working with my investigators to put together this case.”

Haynes and Bentley are expected to appear in Riverside Superior Court on April 29. If convicted, each faces up to11 years in state prison.