Queens County Man Indicted for Falsifying Absentee Ballot Applications in Democratic Primary

Queens County, New York - A Queens County man was indicted this week for allegedly submitting 20 falsified absentee ballot applications for the Democratic primary in August 2022, according to the Queens County District Attorney's office. The suspect, identified as Abdul Rahman, a 32-year-old resident of Floral Park, could face up to seven years in prison if found guilty of the 140 charges against him.

The district attorney, Melinda Katz, emphasized the importance of election integrity in a press release, stating, "Every vote has to count." She further added, "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."

Rahman, described as a man "active in Democrat and South Asian circles," is accused of casting 20 fraudulent ballots by applying to collect 118 absentee ballots for voters in the area. He gained approval for 32 of the 118 applications, although it was not disclosed which candidates received support from the ballots he allegedly cast.

The investigation began when one voter, Jordan Sandke, visited his polling station on August 23, 2022, only to be informed that he had already requested an absentee ballot. Sandke stated that he had not filled out or submitted the application and had never authorized Rahman to pick up a ballot on his behalf. Investigators tracked down Sandke's ballot application, which had his personal information and a forged signature, and discovered Rahman listed as the authorized individual to pick it up.

Law enforcement officers interviewed other voters whose names and information were listed on the fraudulent applications and found that none of them had submitted the forms or authorized Rahman to handle their ballots. The Board of Elections in the City of New York commended the district attorney's office for addressing the election integrity issue, with Deputy Executive Director Vincent Ignizio stating, "Protecting our democracy and the elections process is the responsibility of all Americans."

Rahman now faces a series of charges, including falsifying business records, criminal possession of a forged instrument, illegal voting, and offering false instruments for filing. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment and is scheduled to return to court on January 30, 2024. District Attorney Katz concluded, "The integrity of elections will be upheld in this borough.".