In connection with an election fraud scheme for the 2022 gubernatorial campaigns, two individuals have been convicted of running a criminal enterprise by a Macomb County jury, according to a report by the Michigan Attorney General's Office. Named in the convictions are Shawn Wilmoth of Warren and Willie Reed of Pompano Beach, Florida. Together, the pair was found guilty of forging signatures on nomination petitions, selling these to unwitting campaigns for over $700,000, a deceitful act that ultimately undermined the integrity of the election process.
Announced by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, found guilty of delivering thousands of fraudulent signatures to numerous candidates, duping eight campaigns, effectively barring them from appearing on the ballot. One of the candidates who was hoodwinked opted out without submitting the fraudulent signatures for review. "The fraud perpetrated by the defendants robbed eight candidates of their chance to appear on the ballot, defrauded their campaigns and denied millions of Michiganders a choice in the 2022 gubernatorial election,” Nessel stated, per the Michigan Attorney General's Office. Her office, along with the Department of State, received commendations for their efforts in securing the convictions and their ongoing commitment to preserving the democratic process.
As reported by the Michigan Attorney General's Office, Shawn Wilmoth, who owns First Choice LLC and is a co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC, was convicted of multiple felonies, including conducting a criminal enterprise, false pretenses involving significant sums, and election law forgery. His accomplice, Willie Reed, operator of Petitions Reed LLC and fellow co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC, faces a similar laundry list of charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise, pretenses, and other related felonies.
Detecting what amounted to forgeries by the Michigan Bureau of Elections early on, the misconduct prevented candidates such as Ryan Kelley, Perry Johnson, and others from qualifying to appear on the primary ballot. This discovery of fabricated signatures prompted a referral to the Department of Attorney General, where Nessel duly charged the defendants in September 2023. While the two men await sentencing set for March 18, a third individual, Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin of Warren, was found not guilty by the jury.
