YUMA COUNTY - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced that Guillermina Fuentes of San Luis pleaded guilty on Thursday to one count of Ballot Abuse, a Class 6 Felony, for her role in an August 2020 Primary Election "ballot harvesting" scheme where early ballots from other voters were collected and deposited into a ballot box on primary Election Day.
In December 2020, Fuentes and Alma Juarez, also of San Luis, were both indicted for 1 count each of Ballot Abuse, also known as “ballot harvesting.” In March 2022, Juarez entered a guilty plea to Ballot Abuse.
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. Under Arizona law ballot harvesting is a class 6 felony.
Fuentes admitted that she "knowingly collect[ed] ballots from another person, and those early ballots belonged to individuals for whom I am not a family member, household member, or caregiver." Fuentes further admitted that the early ballots were later provided to Alma Juarez.
Fuentes is scheduled to be back in court for sentencing on June 30, 2022.
Juarez is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2022.
This investigation was conducted by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Special Investigations Section, Election Integrity Unit and the Yuma County Sheriff's Office.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Lawson is prosecuting this case.