Prosecutors: Texas man used cocaine to buy votes

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a 47-year-old man provided cocaine to secure votes for school board candidates in South Texas.

A federal judge in McAllen on Monday scheduled the arraignment of Francisco “Frankie” Garcia of Donna for next month. He’s facing voter fraud and other charges.

The Monitor newspaper reports (http://bit.ly/1Cblyfa ) that an indictment alleges Garcia paid voters by giving them a “dime bag” of cocaine. Others were paid $10 for their votes in the 2012 Donna school board elections.

FBI agents arrested Garcia last week in Illinois.

He’s the latest to be implicated in a conspiracy to buy votes for the school board elections. Three women pleaded guilty earlier this year to voter fraud.

A phone listing in Donna for Garcia could not be found.

___

Information from: The Monitor, http://www.themonitor.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up