A paid worker collecting signatures for a Florida marijuana initiative has been arrested and accused of using voters’ personal data to commit fraud. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that Teagen Marie Targhuhanuchi, a 41-year-old resident of Titusville, faces multiple felony charges for allegedly turning petition signatures into unauthorized voter registrations.
According to investigators, Targhuhanuchi was working as a paid petition circulator for Smart & Safe Florida. Her job was to attend events and collect signatures for ballot initiative 25-01, which aims to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
While people believed they were simply signing a petition to get the amendment on the ballot, officials say the defendant had other plans for their information.
READ: Florida Court Deals Major Blow To Recreational Marijuana Push Just Days Before Deadline
The investigation, led by the Office of Election Crimes & Security and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, revealed that after collecting legitimate signatures, Targhuhanuchi used that personal data to fill out and submit fraudulent voter registration applications.
The victims reportedly had no idea their information was being used this way. The issue first came to light after a report from the Charlotte County Supervisor of Elections flagged the suspicious activity.
“There is no excuse for a mega marijuana corporation and its affiliates to fraudulently hijack Florida’s Constitution,” Uthmeier stated. “This behavior is a direct attack on election integrity, and we will hold anyone who commits or participates in these crimes fully accountable.”
Targhuhanuchi has been charged with 12 counts of Identity Theft, 12 counts of Submission of Fraudulent Voter Information, and one count of Identity Theft involving more than 10 individuals. The case is set to be prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution in Florida’s Twentieth Judicial Circuit.
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