A petitioner for Smart & Safe Florida has been arrested on charges of voter fraud and identity theft after allegedly using personal information from petition signers to fraudulently register them to vote without permission, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a news release.
Teagen Marie Targhuhanuchi, 41, of Titusville, faces numerous criminal charges including 12 counts of identity theft, 12 counts of submission of fraudulent voter information, and one count of identity theft involving more than 10 individuals.
Uthmeier announced the arrest Friday, saying investigators found that Targhuhanuchi worked as a paid petition circulator for Smart & Safe Florida, the organization behind ballot initiative 25-01 seeking to legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida.
Marijuana
'Florida's Constitution is not for sale': AG probes marijuana petition fraud
"There is no excuse for a mega marijuana corporation and its affiliates to fraudulently hijack Florida's Constitution," Uthmeier said in the release. "This behavior is a direct attack on election integrity, and we will hold anyone who commits or participates in these crimes fully accountable."
According to investigators, Targhuhanuchi attended multiple events where she collected signatures for the marijuana legalization amendment. After obtaining signatures, she allegedly stole the personal information of people who signed the petition and used it to fill out and submit voter registration applications without their knowledge or consent.
The arrest comes days after Uthmeier announced that the state had opened 46 new investigations into marijuana petition fraud allegations.
