You are on page 1of 2

9/2014

OFFICE OF THE

DISTRICT ATTORNEY
OF BRONX COUNTY www.bronxda.nyc.gov
198 EAST 161ST STREET BRONX, N.Y. 10451 ROBERT T. JOHNSON
DISTRICT ATTORNEY

PRESS RELEASE

(718) 590-2234

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ALLEGED FILING OF FRAUDULENT PETITIONS WITH THE NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF ELECTION HAS BEEN CLOSED WITH THE ARRESTS OF THREE CAMPAIGN WORKERS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER MARIA DEL CARMEN ARROYO

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today that a nine month-long investigation into fraudulent petitions filed with the New York City Board of Elections has resulted in the arrests of three former campaign workers for New York City Council Member Maria Del Carmen Arroyo. The investigation uncovered no evidence of any criminal conduct by any other persons. Elbin Lopez, 49, of 290 Alexander Avenue, Betty Julien, 47, of 925 Bruckner Boulevard of 40 Richman Plaza, and Luis Vargas, 45, of 925 Bruckner Boulevard, have been charged with multiple felony counts of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, Forgery in the Second Degree, and Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree. The defendants are facing maximum terms of up to seven years imprisonment if convicted. The charges stem from the defendants alleged conduct as employees of Council Member Arroyos campaign for re-election in 2013. The defendants were hired by the Council Members

Page 1 of 2

9/2014

OFFICE OF THE

DISTRICT ATTORNEY
OF BRONX COUNTY www.bronxda.nyc.gov
198 EAST 161ST STREET BRONX, N.Y. 10451 ROBERT T. JOHNSON
DISTRICT ATTORNEY

PRESS RELEASE

(718) 590-2234

campaign to gather signatures on petitions to have her name placed on the ballot in the Democratic Primary Election which was held in September 2013. The defendants were arraigned before Criminal Court Judge Carol Sharpe and were released on their own recognizance. It is alleged that Lopez, Julien, and Vargas forged nearly one hundred signatures on the candidates petitions which were then filed with the New York City Board of Elections. The alleged forgeries included the signatures of New York Yankees team captain Derek Jeter, sports announcer Joe Buck, New York Giants defensive tackle Rocky Bernard, and actress Kate Moss. The petitions also contained phony addresses accompanying some signatures including a Citibank branch location and a location for the drug rehabilitation program Odyssey House. The charges announced today are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. District Attorney Johnson thanked the following for their hard work which resulted in the charges being announced today: Assistant District Attorney Stuart Levy, Chief of the Rackets Bureau; Assistant District Attorney Pishoy Yacoub of the Rackets Bureau who is prosecuting the case; Chief Detective Investigator Frank Chiara; Lieutenant Doris Amador; Senior Detective Investigator Merrybet Tavarez; Detective Investigator John Wall; and the New York City Department of Investigation for its assistance.

Page 2 of 2

You might also like