Las Vegan arrested in voter registration incident
CARSON CITY — Secretary of state investigators on Tuesday arrested a Las Vegas-area woman who is alleged to have registered to vote twice under a false name and now faces seven felony charges.
According to a voter fraud criminal complaint filed by the Nevada attorney general’s office, Biqui Diana Parra Rodriguez obtained personal identifying information of another person, Mary Lou Aguirre, and unlawfully and fraudulently registered to vote twice under a false name.
The secretary of state’s office said Rodriquez allegedly registered both as a Republican and as a Democrat.
On or about Oct. 18, 2011, Rodriguez used the personal identifying information to register to vote at or near the East Sahara Avenue location of the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles, the complaint states. Furthermore, on or about Aug. 16, 2012, she willfully and falsely gave her name as Mary Lou Aguirre on a voter registration application in Clark County, it states.
Rodriguez is charged with a total of seven counts of felonies, two of which are Category B felonies and five of which are Category E felonies.
The Category B felonies include burglary; and obtaining and using personal identifying information of another person to harm or impersonate person, to obtain certain records or for other unlawful purpose.
The Category E felonies include possession or sale of document or personal identifying information to establish false status or identity; fraud in connection with application for license or identification card; two counts of fraud in connection with application for license or identification card; and two violations of laws governing elections voter registration.
Rodriguez is being held at Clark County Detention Center on $5,000 bail and awaits arraignment. The attorney general’s office is the prosecuting agency.
Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller said the case demonstrates the integrity and security of the state’s elections process
“This incident of voter registration fraud was predicated on identity theft, and multiple state agencies worked together efficiently to investigate the case,” he said. “Voter registration fraud is not widespread, and we have systems in place to catch those who attempt to commit these unlawful acts. The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles spotted a discrepancy in its records and alerted my office to the issue.“
It was the second such arrest this year.
In April, an immigrant living in the country illegally who registered to vote under a false name and cast ballots in the 2008 and 2010 Nevada elections was arrested on two felony charges.
According to a criminal complaint filed by the state attorney general’s office, Hortencia Segura in August 2008 lied to the Washoe County registrar of voters and falsely registered to vote under the name “Marisela Reyna.”
She registered as a Republican, but it is unknown which candidates she voted for or if her voting affected any close elections.
Contact Capital Bureau reporter Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801.
