Federal authorities have arrested a Victorville man, James Brass, aged 47, along with two others, in connection with a voter fraud scheme involving the collection of signatures on Skid Row. Brass allegedly led a team of signature collectors and also collected signatures for ballot petitions designed to influence California law. According to a federal indictment issued on Wednesday, Brass was known by the nickname “Lord” and operated a company called Pinnacle Brass LLC.
Brass is scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court in Riverside on Thursday afternoon. His deputy federal public defender has not responded to requests for comment.
The indictment also charges two alleged petition circulators who worked for Brass. Courtney Price, 49, from Jacksonville, Florida, and Jateisha Herron, 33, from Boron, California, face similar charges but have not yet been arrested or reached for comment.
The indictment lists charges of conspiracy to commit identity fraud to further a state felony against all three individuals. Brass and Price are also charged with identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony. If convicted, each faces up to five years in prison per count.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli described the case on X as “California Election Fraud.” He stated that the defendants allegedly exploited individuals, including Skid Row’s homeless population, to conceal their fraudulent activities. Essayli emphasized that such conduct erodes voter confidence in election systems and assured vigorous investigation and prosecution for those involved.
The indictment explains that the state Constitution allows citizens to bypass the state legislature to enact statutes and constitutional amendments directly through the initiative process. To qualify an initiative for the ballot, proponents must collect numerous signatures from registered voters supporting the measure. Typically, initiative proponents hire petition management companies to gather signatures.
From February to August this year, Brass, Price, and Herron allegedly used a database to identify registered California voters. They reportedly provided stolen identities to petition signers on Skid Row, instructing them to copy voters’ personal information onto ballot petitions and fraudulently sign them.
Prosecutors allege that Brass and Herron falsely signed declarations affirming they had witnessed the voters sign and that each signature was genuine. They allegedly submitted these fraudulent petitions to several coordinators to receive payments from a petition management company. Brass reportedly received around $41,600 from coordinators associated with such companies.