Close X

Even Former Elected Officials Commit Crimes; Former Santa Ana Council Member Roman Reyna Pleads Guilty to Election Fraud

Posted by Fay Arfa | Sep 12, 2019 | 0 Comments

Former Santa Ana City Council Member Roman Reyna pleaded guilty to committing election fraud for submitting nomination papers under penalty of perjury that falsely claimed he lived at a residence within Santa Ana Ward 4 in order to run for that Ward's City Council seat in 2018. Reyna was elected to represent Ward 4 in November 2018.Reyna pleaded guilty to one felony count of perjury and one misdemeanor count of Elections Code 18201, filing fraudulent nomination papers, as part of a plea agreement. He was ordered to pay $578,053.16 in restitution which represents the cost of the special election the City of Santa Ana had to hold to replace Reyna on the City Council. Reyna will be banned for life from holding elected office.After a one-year progress review, the guilty plea to the felony charge will be withdrawn and he will be sentenced on the misdemeanor Elections Code charge if Reyna makes progress toward completion of the terms of his probation.Between June 2018 and October 2018 Reyna filed several official documents, including a document re-registering to vote in Ward 4, and City Council nomination papers, under penalty of perjury which stated that he resided in Ward 4. He did not reside in Ward 4 during that time period.

About the Author

Fay Arfa

Fay Arfa has the distinction of being Certified as a Specialist in two separate areas of law – Criminal Law as well as Appellate Law – by the California State Bar, Board of Specialization. The National Board of Trial Advocacy has also awarded her a board Certification in Criminal Trial Advocacy. ...

Comments

There are no comments for this post. Be the first and Add your Comment below.

Leave a Comment

Board Certifications



Contact Us Today

Fay Arfa is committed to answering your questions about Trials, Appeals, Habeas Corpus, State Crimes, Federal Crimes, and Sex Crimes law issues in California.

We offer a free telephone consultation and we'll gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.