MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Monday the state Grand Jury for Shelby County has indicted two individuals on voter fraud charges related to elections held in 2006 in Shelby County. As a result of information provided by the Shelby County Election Commission, the cases were investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) as part of an ongoing effort to stop illegal voting activity in Shelby County.
The Grand Jury indicted Anne Enochs, 69, and James Golden, 52, each on one count of illegal registration or voting (class D felony).
According to the indictment against Enochs, she allegedly voted more than once in the primary and general election held on August 3, 2006. According to the indictment against Golden, on October 24, 2006, he allegedly cast a second vote during early voting for the general election held on November 7, 2006.
Enochs and Golden have been arrested and released on recognizance. Enochs is scheduled to be arraigned September 15, and Golden is scheduled for arraignment August 24.
District Attorney Gibbons stressed the indictments do not allege that any candidate or candidate’s campaign organization was in any way involved in voter fraud, directly or indirectly.
Gibbons noted that, based on information provided by the Election Commission and investigation by the TBI, indictments against additional individuals are possible.
“We will continue to work with the TBI to ensure the integrity of our democratic process,” said District Attorney Gibbons. “It is our hope that prosecution of these cases will deter acts of voter fraud in the future,” Gibbons stressed.
Gibbons said he was pleased that Election Commission administrator Rich Holden has taken steps to increase training of election officials on the need to identify on the front end those who may attempt to vote illegally.
Gibbons also announced that the Voter Trust Task Force that he and TBI Director Mark Gwyn created in 2006 has been on standby since last Friday when early voting for the county general election and state and federal primary elections began. The Voter Trust Task Force will also be available all day on August 5, the actual election day, to investigate any incidents during the voting process identified by the Election Commission ad potential criminal violations.
District Attorney Gibbons and Director Gwyn created the task force in 2006 following an investigation into alleged voter fraud in past elections and the criminal indictments resulting from the investigation.
The Task Force consists of prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Public Corruption and Economic Crime Unit who will be on call to the Election Commission to discuss and review any possible issues that arise at the polls. Agents with the TBI, who are also part of the Task Force, will be called upon to immediately investigate possible misconduct at any voting location in Shelby County at the request of the District Attorney.
Voters in Shelby County who observe any potential problems at the polls during early voting or on August 5 should contact the Shelby County Election Commission at 901-545-4125. Election Commission officials will contact the D.A.’s Office if it appears any criminal conduct has occurred. If the situations warrants, the Task Force will investigate and notify the Commission of the results.