Resident of The Villages arrested, suspected of casting multiple ballots
A fourth Villages resident was arrested Tuesday and suspected of voter fraud in the 2020 election, according to authorities.
Charles Franklin Barnes, 64, was arrested and taken to Sumter County Jail; he faces a charge of fraud in casting more than one ballot during an election, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Barnes is not affiliated with a political party in Florida. Voter records indicate Barnes registered in Florida in 2019. Before moving to The Villages, Barnes previously held an address in Connecticut, according to the SCSO arrest report.
Last year, three other Villages residents were arrested for casting ballots in Florida and other states. Joan Halstead, Jay Ketcik and John Rider all face felony charges of casting more than one ballot in an election, arrest reports provided by the office of Ocala-based State Attorney Bill Gladson show. State voter records show Halstead, 71, and Ketcik, 63, are registered Republicans. Rider, 61, has no party affiliation.
Barnes was released from jail after paying a bond amount of $2,000.
This is a developing story, check back here for updates.
