San Luis, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that a State Grand Jury has indicted Guillermina Fuentes, of San Luis, Arizona, on additional charges related to her alleged illegal conduct in the August 2020 Primary Election. Fuentes is accused of voting for another person with an early ballot.
In December 2020, Fuentes was indicted on one count of Ballot Abuse, also known as “ballot harvesting.” That charge, which is also included in the new indictment, alleges that during the August 2020 Primary Election, Fuentes knowingly collected four voted ballots from other persons, in violation of Arizona law. The early ballots were deposited into a ballot box on Election Day, and were processed and counted by the Yuma County Recorder during the election. Arizona law only provides for a family member, household member, or caregiver of the voter to collect voted or unvoted early ballots from another person.
In addition to the Ballot Abuse charge, the new indictment alleges three additional felony charges: Conspiracy, Forgery, and an additional Ballot Abuse count. The new charges allege that Fuentes conspired to obtain and vote the early ballot of another individual in the August 2020 Primary Election. The indictment further alleges that Fuentes knowingly signed the individual’s name on an early ballot envelope, and that she allegedly violated another part of the Ballot Abuse law by marking the individual’s ballot.
This investigation was conducted by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Special Investigations Section, Election Integrity Unit, and Special Agent Roger Geisler.
The case against the other defendant in the case, Alma Juarez, is ongoing.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Lawson is prosecuting this case.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Copy of indictment here.