PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A South Florida effort to legalize recreational marijuana has unraveled into a criminal investigation, raising broader questions about ballot access, voter trust, and the state’s crackdown on petition fraud.

Investigators say a paid petition circulator submitted thousands of forged signatures — including one belonging to a deceased person — while trying to place a marijuana legalization initiative on Florida’s ballot.

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According to arrest records, Ashford Monroe is accused of submitting more than 1,900 petition forms, with nearly 1,600 determined to be fraudulent. Authorities say the forged signatures and unauthorized use of voters’ personal information spanned Palm Beach and Broward counties.

The alleged fraud was first flagged by the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office, which sent a tip to investigators after identifying irregularities in the petitions.

The petition effort was tied to Initiative 2501, a proposal aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida. State officials say the initiative will not appear on the November ballot because it failed to collect a sufficient number of verified signatures.

Governor Ron DeSantis has long weighed in on cases like this emphasizing his administration’s hard stance on election integrity.

“Our tolerance for voter fraud in the state of Florida is zero,” DeSantis said.

The governor has repeatedly pushed for stricter verification laws, arguing they are necessary to catch bad actors. He has cited similar cases in the past involving petitions submitted on behalf of dead voters.

While election officials acknowledge that fraud does occur, they say recent verification requirements have significantly increased the workload and cost of the process.

Wendy Sartory Link spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office, said fraudulent activity often spikes around controversial or high-profile issues.

“When we have particularly hot issues, that’s where you do see more fraudulent circulators,” Sartory Link said. “For example, when we had casino gambling, we were hitting up to 70% fraud.”

Sartory Link added that under current law, supervisors of elections must conduct extensive verification steps — including mailing confirmation letters and prepaid return envelopes to voters — a process she describes as both time-consuming and expensive.

“It’s part of what we do, but it is extraordinarily time-consuming and expensive,” she said. “Under the new law, we’re also sending letters with return letters and paying postage both ways.”

However, leaders within the Florida Democratic Party argue that while tougher laws may stop fraudulent behavior, they also make it harder for legitimate grassroots initiatives to qualify for the ballot.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried criticized the state’s approach, saying the Legislature has gone too far.

“The people of our state should actually be very frustrated with the laws that keep getting passed, making it more and more difficult to get citizens’ initiatives onto the ballot,” Fried said.

At the same time, Fried acknowledged that in this case, the system did work.

“What it tells me is the system worked,” Fried said. “He was caught.”

Monroe is now facing multiple criminal charges connected to the alleged forged signatures.