Oakland Man Pleads Guilty, Sentenced for Forgery of Absentee Ballot Documents

April 18, 2012

AUGUSTA ? Attorney General William J. Schneider announced that Byron L. Wrigley, Jr., 50, of Oakland was sentenced today following his pleas of guilty to three Class D counts of forgery for signing the name of two other voters on an application for an absentee ballot and two absentee ballot return envelopes.

Kennebec County Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy sentenced Wrigley to 10 days incarceration to be served in Kennebec County?s alternative sentencing program.

Wrigley forged his adult children?s signatures on absentee ballot documents so that he could cast votes in their names in the November 2010 general election. Wrigley?s son was unaware that an absentee ballot was being cast in his name in Oakland and voted in person in Orono, where he attended the University of Maine. The Secretary of State?s Office identified the dual voting violation and referred the case to the Office of the Attorney General.

?Election-related fraud has serious consequences,? said Attorney General Schneider. ?Every instance of absentee ballot forgery harms all the voters of Maine. We will vigilantly safeguard the integrity of the voting process and deter others who may be tempted to engage in similar conduct.?

This case was investigated by Attorney General Schneider?s Investigations Unit. Assistant Attorneys General Michael J. Colleran and Leanne Robbin handled this matter for Attorney General Schneider?s Criminal Division.