London, Ky. —Charles Newton Weaver, 36, of Manchester, Kentucky, pleaded guilty today before United States District Court Judge Danny C. Reeves to conspiring to commit voter fraud during the May 2006 primary elections for county officials in Clay County.

Weaver waived his right to be indicted by a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty to an Information. In the course of his guilty plea, Weaver admitted to agreeing to change votes of voters who were unfamiliar with the new electronic machines by creating the false impression to the voters that by pressing the button once a vote was cast when in fact a second button was required to cast the vote. After the voter left the machine, the Defendant would change the vote to his candidates of choice and cast the vote accordingly.

James A. Zerhusen, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Larry R. Willis, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement today after Weaver entered his guilty plea.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States was represented in the case by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen C. Smith.

Weaver is currently scheduled to appear for sentencing in United States District Court in London, Ky.. Weaver faces a maximum prison sentence of ten years in prison. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of sentences.

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