CINCINNATI — Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers has indicted ex-mayoral candidate Kelli Prather for election fraud.
Prather has been indicted on four counts, including tampering with records and election falsification, among others. If she is convicted on all charges, she faces three years in prison.
The 2021 Senate candidate submitted petitions to the Hamilton County Board of Elections to appear on the ballot.
Powers said of the 5,619 signatures provided by Prather, 4,579 were found to be invalid. Of the 192 petition sheets filed with the board of elections, 74 of those contained zero valid signatures.
The board of elections then investigated the petitions further, finding that six signatures had addresses for abandoned buildings, Powers said.
Some petitions also were completely full of signatures that were blatantly written with the same handwriting.
"It is shocking that a self-proclaimed community leader would engage in such blatant fraud relating to our elections," Powers said.
Powers said that elections are a "sacred" thing in the U.S., and there is no tolerance for those "looking to scam their way into office."
Prior to these fraud charges, Prather was previously convicted in a COVID-19 fraud case.
A federal jury found Prather guilty in connection to her requesting more than $1.2 million in relief loans during the pandemic.
Prather applied for six PPP loans for businesses she claimed to own. She also applied for eight Economic Injury Disaster Loans, saying the businesses were majority owned by her disabled nephew.
According to court documents, Prather spent more than $8,000 of the $19,800 she received on non-business expenses, at places like Kroger, Staples, Krispy Kreme, AAA Car Wash and Park Place restaurant in Forest Park.
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