Voting Booth, Source: TFP File Photo

Russian And Uzbek Nationals Arrested In Florida For Alleged Voter Fraud Scheme

Voting Booth, Source: TFP File Photo
Voting Booth, Source: TFP File Photo

A Russian national and an Uzbek national, both residing in Florida, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a scheme to submit fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections. The arrests come after a joint investigation by federal and state law enforcement agencies, highlighting ongoing efforts to safeguard the integrity of U.S. elections.

Dmitry Shushlebin, 45, a Russian citizen living in Miami Beach, and Sanjar Jamilov, 33, an Uzbek citizen residing in St. Petersburg, are accused of conspiring to submit 132 fraudulent voter registration applications between February and March 2023.

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The applications were submitted under false names and contained numerous red flags, including identical formatting, repeating dates of birth and addresses, and nearly sequential Social Security numbers.

According to court documents, the duo allegedly used envelopes with identically formatted return address labels, which even included the same typographical error. Additionally, they submitted change of address forms to the U.S. Postal Service to redirect mail for the fraudulent registrations to three locations under their control. These actions were part of a coordinated effort to manipulate voter registration records in Pinellas County.

Shushlebin and Jamilov each face one count of conspiring to submit fraudulent voter registration applications and providing false information in registering to vote. If convicted, they could each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

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The case was initiated after a referral from the Florida Department of State’s Office of Election Crime and Security. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Leo J. Wise of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida.

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