SURPRISE, Ariz. — A surprise man was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in January to falsely certifying a voter registration application.
Joseph John Marak, 62, submitted a voter registration application in which he falsely certified that “I am not a convicted felon.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona said Marak’s certification was false because in August 2011, he was convicted of 18 felony counts in North Carolina and was sentenced to 72 months in prison.
Marak admitted he voted in six federal elections from 2016 to 2020 with his fraudulent registration, the attorney's office said.
He was sentenced to 30 months of supervised probation and fined $2,400.
“This is the second voter fraud case we’ve charged in the last year, and the first arising out of the 2020 election cycle,” U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said in a news release. “Voting is a crucial civil right, and exercising one’s voice is a key part of a felon’s reentry to society. But there are rules: If you wish to vote in Arizona following a felony conviction, please speak first with your local County Recorder to fully understand the process for restoring your voting rights.”
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