A judge handed down harsher prison sentences to two men who confessed to their roles in a voting fraud plan, surpassing the recommendations made by the prosecution.

Judge Harvey Bartle III reprimanded former Millbourne Borough Council vice president Md Nurul Hasan, stating, according to Votebeat, “Few crimes in our federal code stand above this in severity. Your actions have compromised our democratic system.”

Hasan admitted guilt for participating in an election fraud scheme during his 2021 mayoral campaign. Despite this attempt to manipulate the election, Hasan ultimately failed to win the mayoral seat.

“The defendants’ efforts to steal the election for defendant MD NURUL HASAN were ultimately unsuccessful, as defendant HASAN still lost the general election by a vote of approximately 165 to 138,” the indictment declares.

Gavel and scale (Brian A. Jackson/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Md Munsur Ali — who is currently listed online as a member of the Millbourne Borough council — has also pleaded guilty in the case.

He is slated to be sentenced next week, according to the press release.

“Ali, a member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty in April to all 25 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 12 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 12 counts of fraudulent voter registration. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 26,” the release notes.