Two Florida men admit to voting multiple times in the 2020 election

Two Florida men have admitted to voting more than once in the 2020 election, with both avoiding jail by entering a pretrial diversion program.

Charles Barnes and Jay Ketcik were among the residents in The Villages, a planned retirement community near Orlando, Fla., who were charged with voter fraud last year.

They each faced up to five years in prison for committing a third-degree felony.

However, both Barnes and Ketcik were able to avoid jail time by signing contracts stipulating that they must pay fines, perform community service and agree to other conditions laid out by their pretrial intervention program officers.

The contracts state, “For the purpose of this Program, the Defendant admits to his guilt of the crime for which he is charged, said admission can be used against him in the event of further prosecution. The Parties agree that the first step in rehabilitation is to the admission of his wrongdoing.”

If they violate any of the conditions in their contracts, they could risk reopening prosecution and having the contract used against them as an admission of guilt. However, if they fully comply with the conditions, then no criminal charges will be issued.

WKMG was the first to report on the development in the cases. According to the outlet, Ketcik is a registered Republican, while Barnes does not appear to be associated with a political party.

The news station noted that Joan Halstead and John Rider, the two other residents from The Villages who were charged with voter fraud, are still awaiting trial, and both have pleaded not guilty.

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