Federal agents on Thursday captured an accused election fraud ringleader who allegedly paid Skid Row’s homeless a few bucks each to sign California ballot petitions using the stolen identities of real voters.

The FBI apprehended alleged election crook James Brass, a.k.a. “Lord,” in Victorville, San Bernardino County, just before dawn.

He allegedly ran his scheme through a small company he owns called Pinnacle Brass, which is registered with the California Secretary of State.

Feds capture an accused election fraud ringleader who allegedly paid the homeless to sign California ballot petitions. CA Post

Brass was allegedly paid $41,600 from coordinators working with an election petition management company to collect signatures for about a dozen different ballots.

Sign up for the California Morning Report newsletter

California’s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

Thanks for signing up!

Just before dawn, the FBI apprehended alleged election crook James Brass in Victorville, San Bernadino County. CA Post

The 47-year-old came out of his modest home around 4:45 a.m. and got into his car, surprising federal agents surveilling his residence. But the agents sprang into action, tailing Brass to a nearby gas station, where they arrested him around 6 a.m., taking him into custody without incident.

FBI Director Kash Patel took to social media to praise the FBI-led bust. “If you mess with our elections, this FBI will find you,” he wrote on X.

James “Lord” Brass is pictured during a perp walk following an FBI voter fraud arrest on Thursday, September 10. CA Post

The 47-year-old came out of his home around 4:45 a.m. and got into his car, surprising federal agents surveilling him. CA Post

Brass allegedly ran his scheme through his company Pinnacle Brass, which is registered with the Secretary of State. DOJ

Also charged in the two-count indictment against Brass are two petition circulators who allegedly worked for him: Courtney Price, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida; and Jateisha Herron, 33, of Boron, California.

Brass is accused of collecting signatures and managing a team of signature collectors with Herron.

From February 2026 to August 2026, the defendants allegedly used a database to identify registered California voters on Skid Row, where they apparently handed out voters’ stolen identities and paid petition signers to copy the voters’ personal information onto ballot initiative petitions and fraudulently sign the petitions in those voters’ names.

After the petitions were signed, Brass and Herron signed declarations at the bottom of the petitions, falsely declaring under penalty of perjury that they personally witnessed the named registered voters sign the petitions and that each signature was, to the best of their knowledge, “the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be.”

Brass and Herron then allegedly turned in the bogus petitions to several petition coordinators,.

Brass further knew the false representations about the signatures’ authenticity would result in payments to him from a petition management company.

Brass received approximately $41,600 from coordinators working with the petition management company.

LA’s top federal prosecutor Bill Essayli has said he was pursuing a slew of election fraud cases, adding Brass and his accomplices are accused of ripping off voters and skewing the democratic process.

“These defendants used stolen identities of registered voters to manufacture signatures on ballot petitions used to shape California law,” Essayli said. “They preyed on the vulnerable homeless population and used them to try to cover their tracks.”

California allows voters to bypass the Legislature and place proposed statutes and constitutional amendments directly before voters if supporters gather enough valid signatures.

For the 2026 election cycle, initiative statutes required 546,651 valid signatures while constitutional amendments required 874,641, according to the California Secretary of State.

Campaigns frequently hire petition management companies to collect the huge number of signatures required, with circulators often paid according to the signatures they gather.

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.

It’s unclear how many fake signatures Brass and his cohorts collected and which ballot measures they worked on.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!