Just a few days after practically 100 ballots have been recovered from a dumpster in New Jersey, a Postal Service worker was arrested Wednesday on
Just a few days after practically 100 ballots have been recovered from a dumpster in New Jersey, a Postal Service worker was arrested Wednesday on prices that he deliberately delayed and obstructed the supply of mail, the authorities stated.
The clean ballots have been addressed to voters in West Orange, N.J., by the Essex County Board of Elections, however have been present in a trash bin outdoors a financial institution in North Arlington, N.J., final Friday with 633 different items of mail, together with marketing campaign fliers, the U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Newark stated.
Nicholas Beauchene, 26, of Kearny, N.J., was answerable for delivering the ballots, however willfully discarded them, the workplace stated. He additionally threw out greater than 500 different items of mail that have been discovered on Monday in a second dumpster, in North Arlington, prosecutors stated.
Investigators stated that the dumpster the place the ballots have been found was about one mile from Mr. Beauchene’s dwelling.
Mr. Beauchene was charged with one depend of delaying the mail and one depend of obstructing the mail. If convicted, he may withstand 5 years in jail and a $250,000 positive on the primary cost, and as much as six months in jail and a $5,000 positive on the second cost. He was scheduled to look in federal court docket in Newark on Wednesday afternoon.
It was not instantly clear if Mr. Beauchene had a lawyer and court docket paperwork weren’t but obtainable.
Mr. Beauchene’s arrest comes amid heightened anxiousness over mail-in voting, which tens of millions of Individuals are anticipated to make use of to keep away from casting ballots in particular person due to the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump has repeatedly made baseless accusations about widespread fraud in mail-in voting, and the Justice Division has been accused of attempting assist him push that false narrative by calling consideration to small, remoted instances the place there have been issues.
The Trump administration has confronted intense criticism over modifications made to the Postal Service that critics say undermines the supply of mail-in ballots and the integrity of the election.