TRENTON — The Paterson City Council President, Alex Mendez, and three alleged co-conspirators face new charges in a case related to the May 2020 municipal elections, as announced by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA). The allegations include ballot theft, ballot forgery, and fraudulent voter registrations. These charges have been detailed in a 10-count superseding indictment.
The accused, involving Mendez, his wife Yohanny Mendez, and campaign workers Omar Ledesma and Iris Rigo, are charged with tampering with public records, falsifying records, and committing election fraud. These charges stem from an OPIA investigation that began when hundreds of mail-in ballots were discovered in Haledon, not far from Paterson, amidst vote-by-mail voting driven by COVID-19 in May 2020.
In 2021, Mendez was initially indicted for offenses linked to election fraud. Further investigation led to more charges against him and his co-defendants in October 2023. The superseding indictment now includes charges of Theft and Receiving Stolen Property against the group.
Attorney General Platkin expressed concern about voter rights, stating, "As alleged, this case is not simply about a city council seat. The people’s right to vote and to have their voices heard was subverted by what we allege to be an unlawful conspiracy." He emphasized the indictment's claim of fraud and theft against Paterson voters.
Drew Skinner, Executive Director of OPIA, praised the investigation's depth, saying, "The tenacious, hard work of the investigators and prosecutors on this case uncovered new information about the lengths the defendants allegedly went to in an attempt to rig Paterson’s municipal election and cover up their conduct."
The indictment also accuses Ninoska Adames, a Paterson resident, of hindering the investigation by falsifying a voter certificate and providing false information to detectives.
The charges laid out in the indictment are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Penalties for second-degree charges can include sentences of five to 10 years and fines up to $150,000. For third-degree charges, penalties can range from three to five years and fines up to $15,000, while fourth-degree offenses can lead to 18-month sentences and fines up to $10,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorneys General Diana Bibb and Lisa Cialino for OPIA, under the supervision of Deputy Corruption Bureau Chief Laura Croce, Bureau Co-Directors Jeff Manis and Eric Gibson, and OPIA Director Skinner.
Defense counsel for Mendez includes Paul Brickfield, with others represented by Genesis Peduto for Yohanny Munoz-Mendez, Deyanira Roque for Omar Ledesma, and Severiano E. Lisboa for Iris Rigo. The defense attorney for Ninoska Adames remains unknown.
