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On Tuesday, June 11, inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney arrested Bridgeport residents:
- Alfredo Castillo, age 52
- Wanda Geter-Pataky, age 67
- Nilsa Heredia, age 61
- Josephine Edmonds, age 62
Each was charged with unlawful possession of absentee ballots and other election-related charges, said Chief State's Attorney Patrick J. Griffin.
Three of the four are also charged with tampering with a witness, officials said.
Following allegations of the mishandling of absentee ballots in the September 2019 Democratic primary election for mayor of the City of Bridgeport, the office of the Secretary of State sent a formal letter of referral to the State Elections Enforcement Commission, or “SEEC”. The SEEC opened a civil investigation.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Geter-Pataky is accused of failing to sign as an assister on an absentee ballot application that she had filled out on behalf of a prospective voter and misrepresenting eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot when she reportedly told a citizen not to vote in person and that she would pick up the citizen’s absentee ballot.
The citizen later told SEEC investigators that the defendant told her not to speak to anyone about the matter, the warrant said.
Court records show Heredia instructed prospective voters on which candidate to select on their absentee ballots and misrepresented eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot.
She admitted to SEEC investigators that she did not submit an absentee ballot distribution list to the City of Bridgeport Clerk’s Office.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Castillo is accused of failing to maintain an absentee ballot distribution list, misrepresenting eligibility requirements for voting by absentee ballot, and failing to sign as an assister on an absentee ballot application in August 2019.
According to a deposition with the SEEC on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021, Castillo denied helping the prospective voter fill out the application but later admitted he had filled out portions of the application.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Edmonds is accused of being present when four prospective voters filled out their absentee ballots and took possession of them when she left their home.
She is also accused of failing to maintain an absentee ballot distribution list and tampering with a witness for having told her not to testify truthfully in court.
All four were released on promises to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Monday, June 24.
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