Maria Guadalupe Bautista, 26, was sentenced earlier today to four and a half years in state prison for her role in a petition fraud scheme. The sentencing follows a jury’s guilty verdict in July on 13 counts of Fraudulent Use of Personal Information.
Bautista’s arrest in 2023 stemmed from an investigation that exposed her unlawful use of multiple individuals’ personal data, including an elected government official’s information, to falsify petition signatures.
Scheme Uncovered by Elections Office
The investigation began in November 2021 when the Office of Wesley Wilcox, Marion County Supervisor of Elections, alerted the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office to a complaint of widespread fraud related to a petition for Constitutional Amendment 21-16, concerning the Limited Authorization of Casino Gaming.
According to a report, Supervisor of Elections staff, responsible for verifying all collected petition signatures, identified two overtly fraudulent petitions bearing the signature of Maria Bautista, a paid registered petition circulator.
Further review of forms submitted by Bautista revealed numerous inconsistencies, with signatures that did not match those on the voter rolls. Notably, two of the fraudulent forms included the signatures of deceased registered voters.
Arrest and Admission
State Attorney’s Office Investigator Jeff Pfannerstill collaborated with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). FDLE Inspector Adam Graff located Bautista in Gainesville. Upon questioning, Bautista stated she had worked for a political action committee after seeing a job advertisement on Craigslist.
Bautista was shown one of the fraudulent forms and confirmed her signature on the submitted petition, which included the voter information and a forged signature for a Marion County elected official. When asked who filled out the form, Bautista claimed she could not recall.
Continuing the investigation, the Department of Elections confirmed the total number of petitions submitted by Bautista, which established the probable cause necessary for her arrest.
The State Attorney’s Office recognized and appreciated the combined efforts of FDLE Inspector Graff, SAO Investigator Pfannerstill, Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon, Certified Legal Intern Sandy Edwards, the Department of Elections, and the Florida Attorney General’s Office for bringing the case to a successful conclusion.
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