Saturday, March 10, 2012

Former Oshkosh Woman Charged With Four Felony Counts Of Election Fraud And Falsification Of Nomination Papers

Yadira E. Colón

Photo: Milwaukee County Sheriff Department

Suspect had fled the state to avoid prosecution.

By H. Nelson Goodson
March 10, 2012

Milwaukee - On Thursday, Yadira E. Colón, 44, formerly of Oshkosh appeared in a Milwaukee County Circuit Court to face charges for two felony counts of election fraud and two felony counts of falsifying nomination papers in 2008. Colón was taken into custody in Florida and was extradited to Wisconsin.
Colón who is not related to former State Representative Pedro Colón had managed to circulate nomination papers for Pedro. She falsified the signatures on two pages of the nomination papers and even certified that she had circulated the papers. Later it was determined, that Yadira had forged the signatures herself.
Yadira also is accused of registering to vote by using a Milwaukee address while she lived in Oshkosh. She cast an absentee ballot for the April 2008 election, according to the criminal complaint.
In November 2009, a criminal complaint was filed against Yadira. She left the state and was finally arrested early this week in Pembroke Pines, Florida where she was residing.
If convicted on all counts, Yadira is facing 42 months in prison and up ot $10,000 in fines. A cash bail $500.00 was set for Yadira.
She is expected back in court for a preliminary hearing on March 22.
Pedro is currently a Milwaukee County Circuit Judge and authorities in 2008 learned that he didn't know about the false nomination signatures until an investigation confirmed they were forged. Pedro's nomination papers had been challenged by former candidate Laura Manriquez in an attempt to oust him from the election. Manriquez was later eliminated in the Primary election.
Pedro had 241 valid nomination signatures, more than the 200 signatures needed to be place on the ballot. Pedro was later re-elected as State Representive for the 8th Assembly District.

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