Alexandria Resident Found Guilty of Voter Registration Fraud

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Alexandria resident Vafalay Massaquoi, 30, was convicted Thursday of felony counts relating to voter fraud, the intentional falsifying of Virginia voter registration applications, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, City of Alexandria, announced. Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Cathryn F. Evans prosecuted the case for the Commonwealth's Attorney.

While working for a local advocacy group, Massaquoi sought to register new voters and fabricated applications for voter registration, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said. Massaquoi forged a number of voter registration forms by inventing applicants, the Office said. The false applications were filed with the Alexandria Office of the General Registrar, who brought them to the attention of the Commonwealth's Attorney.

Massaquoi pleaded guilty to three felony counts: Two counts of forging a public record and one count of election fraud. Massaquoi was sentenced to serve five years in prison on each charge, with all but time already served suspended for the period of five years and upon the conditions that he remain on good behavior, that he comply with Adult Probation and that he complete 500 hours of community service, the Office said.

The sentences were run concurrently, meaning that the total sentence imposed in this case was five years in prison, with all but time already served suspended. Massaquoi has served approximately 90 days in jail.

Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Porter said: "These convictions illustrate my resolve with regards to protecting our society's democratic freedoms. Allegations of electoral fraud will be zealously investigated and, where evidence of wrongdoing is found, prosecuted. Any use of fraud, forgery or subterfuge with regards to voter registration is a very serious matter that deserves a very serious sentence - such as the one obtained in this case. Offenses related to electoral fraud can degrade the confidence we as citizens justly have in our system of elections."

"Advocacy groups that seek to register members of under-represented communities or to encourage people to exercise the franchise do important work and deserve credit for their efforts," Porter said. "However, given how important the voting process is to a democratic system, these groups must inculcate a culture of checks and balances that ensures their employees always act in a manner above reproach."

"In this case, since the fraudulent applications involved fictitious people, had the fraud not been uncovered the risk of actual fraudulent votes being cast was very low," he said. "The investigation failed to reveal the casting of any fraudulent ballots as a result of this scheme."

"I wish to thank Anna Leider, Alexandria's General Registrar, and her staff for uncovering the scheme and bringing it to my attention," Porter said. "I also would like to thank Officer John Brattelli and Sergeant Dan Gordon of the Alexandria Police Department for their efforts in investigating this important case."

PHOTO: Vafalay Massaquoi photo courtesy of the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney City of Alexandria