COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two men already accused of voter intimidation targeting minorities in Michigan have been indicted on felony charges of telecommunications fraud and bribery in Ohio's Cuyahoga County.
County prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley announced Tuesday that a grand jury had returned indictments for Jack Burkman, 54 of Virginia, and Jacob Wohl, 22 of California, for an alleged robocalling scheme meant to suppress voting in minority neighborhoods and to intimidate voters from casting mail-in ballots.
In Ohio, the men made about 8,100 robocalls, including about 3,500 that Ohioans answered, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Yost referred the matter to O'Malley after his own investigation prompted by complaints from U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Cleveland Democrat.
The calls in Ohio were part of a larger alleged plot that totaled 67,396 calls in August targeting areas of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania with high percentages of minority residents. In a video message earlier this month, Yost said: "The calls purported to advise the people on the other end of the call that they ought to be very careful about asking for an absentee ballot because bill collectors were going to mine that information and come after them."
Areas of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania with high percentages of minority residents apparently were targeted, the attorney general said.
Prerecorded messages "falsely warned people that if they voted by mail that their information could be used by law enforcement, collection agencies, and the Center for Disease Control for the purposes of pursuing old warrants, collecting outstanding debts, and tracking people for mandatory vaccines," according to a press release from O'Malley's office.
"The right to vote is the most fundamental component of our nation's democracy. These individuals clearly infringed upon that right in a blatant attempt to suppress votes and undermine the integrity of this election. These actions will not be tolerated. Anyone who interferes with others' right to vote must be held accountable," said O'Malley.
"I commend Attorney General Dave Yost and his staff for their diligent work on this investigation. We urge all citizens to get out and vote. Do not let these individuals or others like them succeed. Exercise your right and get out and VOTE," O'Malley said in the release.
The men have been charged with eight counts of telecommunications fraud, a fifth-degree felony, and bribery, a fourth-degree felony. The two men face up to 18.5 years in prison, if convicted. Arrest warrants were issued for both men.
Charges in Cuyahoga County come on top of those filed Oct. 1 by Michigan's attorney general for voter intimidation, conspiracy to intimidate voters and counts of using a computer in both schemes.
Wohl denied he or Burkman was involved in the voter intimidation calls, saying in an August interview with CNN that they learned of the calls after Burkman received angry messages from those who called his number after seeing it on caller ID.
"We've never done any robocalls," Wohl said. "We are categorically uninvolved."
The two have pleaded not guilty in Michigan.
