Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced that Paterson City Councilmen Michael Jackson and Alex Mendez have been indicted by a state grand jury on charges of election fraud and other offenses related to the May 12, 2020, special election in the City of Paterson.
According to the attorney generals office, Jackson, 49, who is First Ward councilman, and Mendez, 45, who is Third Ward councilman, were initially charged by complaint summons on June 25, 2020, along with Shelim Khalique, 52, of Wayne, and Abu Razyen, 23, of Prospect Park.
The investigation by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity & Accountability (OPIA) began when the U.S. Postal Inspection Service alerted the Attorney General’s Office that numerous mail-in ballots were found in a mailbox in Haledon.
Hundreds of mail-in ballots were also found in a mailbox in Paterson. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all voting in the May 2020 elections in New Jersey was done by mail-in ballots.
“These indictments are an important step in our prosecution of these two sitting city councilmen on charges including second-degree election fraud,” Attorney General Grewal said. “As we have seen all too clearly in recent months, public confidence in our democratic process is critical. If anyone tampers with an election in New Jersey and threatens that process, we will hold them accountable.”
“New Jersey’s criminal code includes various indictable offenses related to election fraud and, in particular, fraud involving mail-in ballots,” OPIA Director Thomas Eicher said. “With these indictments, we’re using those laws for their intended purpose— defending free and fair elections by prosecuting those accused of seeking to undermine them.”
Jackson and Mendez were charged by the state grand jury in separate indictments, Jackson on February 17 and Mendez on February 24. They are charged with the following crimes:
- Election Fraud (2nd Degree)
- Fraud in Casting Mail-In Vote (3rd Degree)
- Unauthorized Possession of Ballots (3rd Degree)
- Tampering With Public Records or Information (3rd Degree)
- Falsifying or Tampering with Records (4th Degree)
Mendez is also charged with False Registration or Transfer (3rd Degree) and Attempted False Registration or Transfer (3rd Degree).