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A woman in Pensacola, Florida, faces 72 charges of petition fraud and perjury after a probe by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
The investigation commenced in January 2023 when FDLE agents were tipped off by the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections about a slew of potentially fake petitions concerning a constitutional amendment on marijuana use.
FDLE discovered that a paid petition gatherer for Smart and Safe Florida, identified as 24-year-old Sonia Humphreys, was responsible for submitting 38 fraudulent petitions. Humphreys was also contracted as a petition gatherer in several North Florida counties.
As part of their investigation, FDLE agents contacted the Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections to check for any additional petitions that Humphreys might have filed.
The supervisor notified investigators about 34 additional petitions Humphreys had submitted using fictitious names.
On Jan. 29, 2024, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested Humphreys on charges of 38 counts of petition fraud and 38 counts of perjury.
She will also face charges for failing to appear at her Santa Rosa County court hearing.
