A Lawrence city councilor-elect is among two women indicted by a grand jury on voter fraud charges connected to the November 2023 local election, the Essex County District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday evening.
Lawrence District A Councilor-Elect Fidelina Santiago was indicted on four counts each of illegal voting or attempt to vote, conspiracy to vote or attempt to vote illegally, unlawful interference with voters, and obstruction of voting, the district attorney’s office said in a news release. A woman named Jennifer Lopez was also indicted on the same counts.
Santiago did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the charges Thursday morning.
The district attorney’s office did not say what the women did to warrant the charges, but said the investigation into the women was sparked by a referral from the Secretary of State’s Office about “concerning allegations of fraudulent voting associated with the November 2023 local election.”
“Interfering with an election not only undermines the legitimacy of government but erodes the public’s confidence in the process. My office will vigorously prosecute individuals that threaten the integrity of elections,” Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said in the release.
In November, NBC10 Boston reported that the district attorney’s office was investigating voter fraud related to Ring camera footage that appeared to show a woman removing ballots from a man’s mailbox in Lawrence. It is unclear whether the footage is related to the charges against Santiago and Lopez.
According to the city of Lawrence’s official election results, Santiago beat her opponent, Vladimir Acevado, by about 16 points on Nov. 7. Her Facebook profile says she is from the Dominican Republic, that she studied medicine there, and that she also attended Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill.
“Your voice matters, and your vote can make a difference. By casting your ballot, you are actively shaping the future of our community. Let’s come together, exercise our civic duty, and ensure that our voices are heard,” she wrote in one post this fall.
WCVB-TV reported that Santiago is set to be sworn in as a city councilor in less than two weeks, but that the charges shouldn’t affect her inauguration. The station spoke to Lawrence City Council President Marc Laplante, who said he will wait for more information on what happened before passing judgement.
“Those allegations and the indictments are serious. There’s no question about that. But, again, let’s not leap to what we all think could or could not be happening,” Laplante said.
