6 charged in election fraud case from 2023 NYC Council primary in Queens
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Five out of six defendants surrendered to authorities Thursday morning to face charges in an election fraud case linked to last year's New York City Council primary in Flushing, Queens.
All six are being charged with absentee ballot fraud. They were all volunteers for the campaign of Yu-Ching James Pai, a candidate in the June 2023 Primary for City County District 20.
"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," said said District Attorney Melinda Katz,
Appearing in court Thursday to face charges including criminal possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records and illegal voting were:
- Sydnee Pai, 19
- Li Zhen Wan, 46
- Yee Ping Yam, 53
- Lisbeth Cheng, 24
- Crystal You, 20
Among those indicted is the former candidate's 19 year-old daughter and former campaign treasurer.
A sixth defendant is out of state and will surrender at a later date.
The arrests are the result of a long-term investigation which began after fellow Republican Dany Chen alleged Pai committed voter fraud on his way to winning the district's primary, and after 23 complainants claimed to prosecutors that they were disenfranchised.
Prosecutors say they cast 23 absentee ballots for Pai without the voters' permission. The voters complained after they were told at a polling place that they had already voted.
Pai himself has not been charged in the case.
"Normally, you might expect 10% or even 20% of the votes to come via absentee ballots. But here, the numbers of absentee ballots were massive, and those absentee ballots were weighted heavily in favor of James Pai," said Aaron Foldenauer, Dany Chen's attorney.
Sandra Ung, a Democrat, ultimately held onto her seat in the general election.
The margin of victory in the primary was just 181 votes.
"One of the most fundamental rights of American citizens is the right to vote, and any effort to harm the integrity of our elections is contrary to our nation's democratic values," Ung said. "I want to thank District Attorney Melinda Katz for her commitment to upholding the integrity of our elections, and I encourage all voters who believe that their vote has been compromised to reach out to the Board of Elections."
All five defendants pleaded not guilty Thursday and have been released on their own recognizance.
If convicted of the most serious charges, the defendants face up to seven years in prison.
The next court date is set for September 19.
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