A Queens resident and registered democrat, Abdul Rahman, 32, was indicted this past Tuesday for allegedly submitting 118 absentee ballots during the Democratic primary election that took place in August of 2022.
So far, the investigation has revealed that on August 8, 2022, Rahman went to the Queens County Board of Elections and dropped off the absentee ballot applications, all of which named him as the individual authorized to pick them up.
Jordan Sandke, a Richmond Hill resident and one of the people falsely reported on the ballots, went to vote on August 23rd and discovered that he would be unable to cast his ballot, as an absentee one had already been requested in his name.
It was found that Sandke’s absentee ballot application, with his name, address, and date of birth were signed and dated August 1, 2022. The application listed Rahman as an authorized representative to pick up the ballot, however, Sandke had not filled out, signed, or submitted the application. He also stated that he had never met the defendant or authorized him to retrieve his absentee ballot on his behalf.
Law enforcement officials interviewed several other people whose names and personal information were listed in the ballot applications without their permission and discovered that none of them had submitted the forms themselves, or knew who Rahman was, much less authorized him to pick up their ballots.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Rahman was arraigned on a 140-count charge of falsifying business records, criminal possession of a forged instrument, and numerous other crimes related to submitting the fraudulent ballots.
Following the indictment, Rahman surrendered to the Queen’s District Attorney’s Office yesterday.
District Attorney Katz released a statement saying, “Every vote has to count. Election integrity is the foundation of a viable, working democracy. We will vigorously prosecute anyone who threatens in any way to undermine that integrity. To investigate and prosecute anyone for voter fraud takes time and resources I am willing to commit. I thank my Public Corruption Bureau and the Board of Elections for their important work on this case. The integrity of elections will be upheld in this borough.”
Supreme Court Justice Toni Cimino has ordered Rahman to return to court on January 30th, 2024. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
