TRENTON, NJ — Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced that Alex Mendez, the Paterson City Council President, is facing new charges in an ongoing election-fraud case. The charges come after an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA) revealed Mendez personally collected ballots and orchestrated fraudulent mailing activities. Co-defendants include his wife, Yohanny Mendez, Omar Ledesma, and Iris Rigo, all residents of Paterson.
Mendez, first indicted on election fraud charges in 2021, is accused of attempting to rig the election for the 3rd Ward seat on the Paterson City Council. Investigators allege that Mendez and associates stole ballots from residential mailboxes and replaced them with fraudulent ballots favoring Mendez.
The investigation was triggered by the discovery of hundreds of mail-in ballots in mailboxes in Haledon and Paterson. New Jersey law stipulates that candidates cannot collect ballots from voters in their district. The Mendez campaign is accused of violating this law on multiple occasions.
Witness tampering is also alleged. After Mendez was indicted in February 2021, audio recordings captured conversations among the defendants planning to contact witnesses against Mendez and propose new statements favorable to the defense.
Charges against the defendants range from conspiracy to commit election fraud to forgery and tampering with public records.
“The defendants are accused of attempting to rig an election and to deprive the voters of Paterson of having their voices heard,” said Platkin. “The functioning of democracy relies on voters’ trust.”
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Eric Cohen, under the supervision of OPIA officials.