MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The second of two Nevada residents charged in a Minnesota voter fraud conspiracy pleaded guilty Tuesday, according to an announcement by federal prosecutors.
Ronnie Williams, 58, entered his guilty plea in federal court before U.S. District Judge Laura Provinzino in St. Paul. Case files do not indicate if Williams reached a formal plea agreement with prosecutors.
“Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson in a prepared statement. “Any attempt to undermine that process through fraud will be investigated and prosecuted. This case sends a clear message — election fraud will not be tolerated in Minnesota.”
Williams’ co-defendant and longtime romantic partner, 57-year-old Lorraine Lee Combs, entered a guilty plea on June 24. Under her deal with prosecutors, both sides agreed on nonbinding federal sentencing guidelines recommending zero to six months in prison. The proposed sentence also includes one to three years of supervised release and a possible fine of up to $20,000.
Although both individuals face statutory maximum sentences of up to five years in prison, the final sentencing decisions will rest solely with Judge Provinzino. As of now, no dates for sentencing have been scheduled, and both defendants remain free pending those proceedings.
Authorities say the two defendants submitted fraudulent voter registration forms in Minnesota during 2021 and 2022. Prosecutors allege they created fake names and details to complete registration forms, which Williams ultimately submitted to an organization described in charging documents only as “Foundation 1.” That entity, which focused on voter registration efforts in Minnesota, allegedly paid Williams, who then shared the funds with Combs.
Though the documents do not specify the amount of money involved, they note that other individuals may have participated in the alleged conspiracy. However, thus far, no additional charges have been announced.
According to the Minnesota Secretary of State, Steve Simon, the state’s voter registration integrity measures played a key role in uncovering the fraud. When the charges were originally filed, Simon stated, “The extensive checks in Minnesota’s voter registration process ensured that the fraudulent applications were immediately flagged, and no ineligible votes were cast.”
While incidents of voter fraud remain uncommon in the United States, legal and administrative safeguards typically make such attempts detectable, and authorities often pursue prosecution when violations come to light.
Federal officials have confirmed that both Williams and Combs are residents of Nevada and previously lived in Minnesota. Although the court documents do not specify their former cities of residence, records in Minnesota show that the pair were evicted in 2023 from an apartment complex in West St. Paul.
