FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — The fundamental democratic process of petitioning for change in Florida is facing intense scrutiny following a series of criminal investigations into widespread fraud.
State investigators report they have uncovered a trail of deception linked to high-stakes political battlegrounds, specifically initiatives involving abortion access and marijuana legalization.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is dismantling what they describe as a “ring” of petition fraud in Lee County. The investigation began after the Lee County Supervisor of Elections (SOE) turned over more than 10,000 invalid petitions for a citizens’ initiative titled “Amendment to Limit Government Interference with Abortion”.
At the center of the probe is 25-year-old Angel Miguel Herrera, an allegedly paid petition circulator accused of submitting at least 176 fraudulent forms. According to an FDLE arrest affidavit, Herrera now faces 11 felony counts of knowingly signing another person’s name or a fictitious name to a petition.
Agents say Herrera was not acting alone. Three co-defendants have been identified in the Lee County ring:
Nicole Ann-Marie Womack: Facing 8 felony counts for 118 invalid petitions.
Hope Dana Marie Dusek: Charged with 6 felony counts for 72 forged forms.
Adam Franklin Rudlaff: Facing 5 felony counts.
Investigators allege the motive for the fraud was “pure profit”. Records and witness interviews suggest circulators were offered aggressive bonuses for high volume. One co-defendant, Adam Rudlaff, reportedly told agents the group made nearly $10,000 for their work.
A text message recovered during the investigation detailed a tiered pay scale:
$25/hour, with a weekly quota of 200 signatures.
$40/hour for 400 signatures per week, plus a $400 bonus.
The group reportedly received payments from a “mysterious” middleman named Dustin, who allegedly demanded petitions be signed even before voters’ signatures were collected.
“Identity Theft Shopping List”
The human cost of the fraud is reflected in the victims who say their personal identifying information was hijacked. FDLE Inspector Gary Negrinelli interviewed numerous Lee County residents whose names appeared on petitions they never signed.
In one instance, a victim told investigators she refused to sign the abortion petition because she was pro-life, only to find her name and a forged signature on a submitted form later. Another victim, Michael Carmine Losasso, who is on oxygen 24/7 and rarely leaves his home, was shocked to find his signature on a petition.
Local Impact and Legal Changes
While the fraud is disturbing, Aubrey Jewett, a political scientist at UCF, notes it is unlikely to change current laws. “Would it have made a difference if this ballot initiative had gotten on or not? Probably not,” Jewett said.
However, the mounting investigations have already triggered legislative action. The state has changed the law to require mailers to be sent to voters to verify the authenticity of their signatures on petitions.
In Charlotte County, Supervisor of Elections Leah Valenti recently helped alert authorities to a separate case involving Teagen Marie Targhuhanuchi. Targhuhanuchi was arrested on over 20 felonies for allegedly harvesting real voter data to submit fraudulent registrations for a marijuana legalization campaign.
“We’re not a democracy without people trusting the electoral process,” Valenti said, emphasizing that her staff remains diligent in checking every signature.
WINK News will continue to track these cases as they move through the court system.