Signature Collection Campaign Fraud Defendants to Face Trial (2024)

LANSING – Today, defendants Shawn Wilmoth, Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin, and Willie Reed were each bound over for trial by Judge John Chmura of the 37th District Court, announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The Attorney General charged the trio for allegedly conducting a criminal enterprise to defraud the gubernatorial campaigns of Perry Johnson, James Craig, Donna Brandenburg, Michael Brown, and Michael Markey, as well as judicial candidates Tricia Dare, John Cahalan, and John Michael Malone in the 2022 election cycle. Shawn Wilmoth and Reed are additionally charged with theft from the gubernatorial campaign of Ryan Kelley. Subsequently announced tax-related charges against Shawn Wilmoth appear before the Court on a separate docket and were not considered at today's preliminary examination.

All nine candidates contracted, directly or through intermediary consultants, with businesses owned and operated by Shawn Wilmoth and Reed for the fulfillment of their nomination signature requirements to appear on the August 2022 primary ballots. The State alleges the three defendants charged the campaigns over $700,000 for valid signature collection, then knowingly delivered tens of thousands of forged signatures on nomination petitions to eight of the campaigns. Seven of the candidates allegedly provided with fraudulent signatures failed to meet the signature requirements to qualify for appearing on the ballot, one candidate withdrew without submitting signatures for review. The defendants allegedly provided the Kelley campaign with no signatures at all.

“The signatures furnished by these defendants were clear forgeries and fabrications, and the harm the victim campaigns suffered is substantial and without remedy,” said Nessel. “This alleged criminal enterprise brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and those responsible face very serious charges.”

The defendants are charged as follows:

SHAWN WILMOTH, owner/operator of First Choice LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC

• 1 count, Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony,
• 8 counts, Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony,
• 3 counts, False Pretenses, $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony,
• 2 counts, False Pretenses, $50,000 or more, a 15-year felony,
• 3 counts, False Pretenses, $20,000 or more, a 15-year felony,
• 8 counts, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony,
• 1 count, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $1,000 or more, a 5-year felony, and
• 1 count, Larceny by Conversion, $1,000 or more, a 5-year felony.

WILLIE REED, owner/operator of Petitions Reed LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC

• 1 count, Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony,
• 8 counts, Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony,
• 3 counts, False Pretenses, $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony,
• 2 counts, False Pretenses, $50,000 or more, a 15-year felony,

• 3 counts, False Pretenses, $20,000 or more, a 15-year felony,
• 8 counts, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony,
• 1 count, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $1,000 or more, a 5-year felony, and
• 1 count, Larceny by Conversion, $1,000 or more, a 5-year felony.

JAMIE WILMOTH-GOODIN

• 1 count, Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony,
• 8 counts, Election Law Forgery, a 5-year felony,
• 3 counts, False Pretenses, $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony,
• 2 counts, False Pretenses, $50,000 or more, a 15-year felony,
• 3 counts, False Pretenses, $20,000 or more, a 15-year felony, and
• 8 counts, Use of a Computer to Commit a Crime, $20,000 or more, a 10-year felony.

The alleged forgeries were quickly detected by the Michigan Bureau of Elections, within the Department of State, which determined the seven campaigns of Johnson, Craig, Brandenburg, Brown, Markey, Dare, and Malone had not met the qualifications to appear on the 2022 primary ballot. The Department of State then referred the matter to the Department of Attorney General for investigation in June of 2022.

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Please note: For all criminal proceedings, a criminal charge is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Department does not provide booking photos.