Six individuals have been indicted on multiple charges related to voter fraud in connection with the June 2023 New York City Council primary campaign for District 20. The indictment, which includes 161 counts, alleges that the defendants engaged in a scheme to submit fraudulent absentee ballot applications for Yu-Ching James Pai, a candidate in the race. The defendants, who volunteered for Pai’s campaign, face a range of charges including criminal possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records, and illegal voting, with potential sentences of up to seven years if convicted.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the indictment, emphasizing the importance of electoral integrity. Katz stated, “Our democracy relies on integrity at the voting booth, and we will not allow that to be compromised in Queens County. As alleged in this case, the defendants went to the Board of Elections and filed fraudulent absentee ballot applications on behalf of 23 voters they had never met. I thank my Public Corruption Bureau and the Board of Elections for their assistance in this investigation.”
Vincent Ignizio, Deputy Executive Director of the Board of Elections, expressed appreciation for the collaboration with the District Attorney’s office. “The Board of Elections is proud to work with our government partners on the federal, state, and local level to refer and support election integrity investigations. We thank District Attorney Katz and her staff for working with us to protect and ensure elections in NYC are free and fair for all.”
The defendants, identified as Sydnee Pai, 19; Li Zhen Wan, 46; Yee Ping Yam, 53; Lisbeth Cheng, 24; and Crystal You, 20, were arraigned before Supreme Court Justice Leigh K. Cheng. They have been ordered to return to court on September 19. Each defendant faces up to seven years in prison for the top charges.
Pai and Cheng are charged with multiple counts including criminal possession of a forged instrument and falsifying business records. Wan, Yam, and You face similar charges with additional counts related to their alleged actions. A sixth defendant is expected to be arraigned at a later date.
According to the indictment, the alleged fraudulent activity occurred between March 1, 2023, and June 27, 2023. The defendants reportedly visited the Board of Elections office to collect absentee ballots for voters who did not request them. The scheme came to light after a voter reported that their vote had already been cast when they arrived at their polling location.
Investigations revealed that 23 Queens County voters had absentee ballot applications and ballots submitted fraudulently in their names. Following the indictment, five of the six defendants have surrendered to the Queens District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Gabriella Giunta of the District Attorney’s Public Corruption Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Khadijah Muhammad-Starling and Deputy Bureau Chief Christine Oliveri, with oversight by Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Gerard Brave.