Sumter County

The Villages resident accused of casting more than 1 ballot in election

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — Another resident of The Villages is accused of casting more than one ballot in an election.

Charles Barnes, 64, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of fraud for casting more than one ballot.

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His bond was set at $2,000.

Barnes is the fourth resident of The Villages in the past month to be charged with voter fraud related to casting multiple ballots.

READ: 3 residents of The Villages accused of voting twice in 2020 presidential election

Joan Halstead, 71, Jay Ketcik, 62, and John Rider, 59, turned themselves in in December, all pleading not guilty to one charge each of voter fraud.

In those cases, investigators said all three Florida residents cast ballots in October 2020 in Sumter County, but each voted again by sending in absentee ballots to other states.

READ: Florida election supervisors question need for new $6 million election police force

A conviction could mean up to five years in prison.

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.