Days before thousands of Miami-Dade voters get absentee ballots for a number of key races in the August 26 primary, the 
Police Benevolent Association announced is a $10,000 reward Thursday to anyone who brings them information on absentee ballot fraud that leads to an arrest and conviction.
The concern they have, shared by others, is that we may see a repeat of the same shenanigans we’ve seen in the past couple of years with these mail-in votes, where several investigations were opened and arrests made from Hialeah to North Miami to Brickell to Homestead.
“That wasn’t too long ago, and we haven’t heard of anyone taking any preventative measures. I don’t think anybody is doing anything about this,” said PBA President John Rivera. “We just don’t want it to be forgotten.”
It practically has been, despite several high profile cases:
- Jeffrey “No Relation” Garcia, former chief of staff and political consultant to U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia, was sentenced to 90 days after he admitted to requesting online hundreds of absentee ballots for voters without their permission or even knowledge.
- Two aides to Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez made a plea deal with prosecutors after they made about 20 online AB requests for voters who had signed requests cards at an event. The website clearly states that requests can only be made for yourself or an immediate family member.
Sergio “El Tio” Robaina, the uncle of former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina (in the mug photo to your right) was given a year’s probation after he was caught delivering about 40 absentee ballots to an aide at the office of Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo. That aide was never charged, but rather given immunity for testimony that never went anywhere.- Deisy Cabrera — the most famous of the boleteras, after getting caught red-handed by a private investigator in 2012 picking up ballots and going into Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez‘s campaign office in Hialeah — got a year probation, during which she cannot participate in political campaigns. Which means she’ll be back in business for the general, folks.
- In North Miami, former Mayor Lucie Tondreau was served with a search warrant and found to have requested at least 60 absentee ballots online. A political consultant in her city was stopped by police who had been following him and found several AB requests in his SUV.
- The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust is still investigating allegations of absentee ballot fraud in the Homestead mayoral election last year, when a complaint was made against two men who had allegedly filled out ballots for several family members — against who they had indicated. Those boleteros were working for the mayoral campaign of Mark Bell, Commissioner Lynda Bell’s husband, who eventually lost anyway.
“We don’t want that cast of characters to get involved in Lynda Bell’s race,” Rivera told me.
Read related story: Deisy Cabrera plea deal saves politicians tied to AB fraud
Any tips the PBA gets will be forwarded on to the police department. But they will keep tabs on it, too.
“We’re going to turn it over to the authorities, we have no choice,” Rivera said. “But if people call them direct, they can just sit on it. If they call us and we turn it over, we can stay on top of it and continuously follow up.”
The intention of the announcement is, of course, to sort of put a chill on these activities. Maybe ballot brokers will give it a second thought if they know their neighbors could cash in on their illegal activity. Maybe they know that other campaign workers or volunteers who aren’t as steeped in the Kool Aid will turn them in for a quick $10K.
But, also, Rivera’s real dream is that any information they get will help them build a case against the real culprits — the politicians and their campaign consultants who pay these people to collect ballots.
Read related story: Sergio Robaina’s plea protects Commissioner Steve Bovo
“Somebody is paying these people. Those are the big fish,” Rivera said.
And Ladra has to go now. I’m buying some binoculars and a video camera that mounts on my sunglasses and other fishing equipment.
Sure. the PBA asked anyone with information on absentee ballot fraud to call them at 305-593-0044. But you can call Ladra first, if you want to stay anonymous, at 786-853-8724.
I’ll split the reward with ya.
Reward: PBA offers $10K for tips on absentee ballot fraud added by Ladra on
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