A scheming crew submitted nearly two dozen fraudulent absentee ballots to boost a candidate during a 2023 City Council primary — including the would-be politician’s daughter, prosecutors said Thursday.
Six people who had worked as volunteers for Yu-Ching James Pai allegedly concocted the plot to boost him in his run for the GOP nomination to represent District 20 in Flushing, according to a statement from Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Pai’s daughter Sydnee Pai, 19, was indicted on voter fraud charges alongside Li Zhen Wan, 46; Yee Ping Yam, 53; Lisbeth Cheng, 24; Crystal You, 20; and another person who was not named.
“This indictment was the results of a long-term investigation into an absentee ballot fraud scheme,” Assistant District Attorney Gabriella Giunta said in court Thursday each time a defendant stepped up.
“This defendant has played a part in impairing the integrity of the election process and disenfranchising the people of Queens County.”
Prosecutors said that between March 1 and June 27, 2023, each person visited the city’s Board of Elections office in Forest Hills, Queens, to pick up absentee ballots for other registered voters.
But those voters didn’t know anything about it — and the district attorney launched an investigation after one of them was turned away from their local polling spot in Flushing after being told they’d already voted.
In the end, the DA found that the defendants had nabbed absentee ballots for 23 different people and submitted them in their names — even though the alleged victims had never signed the documents nor met the people who were “authorized” to pick up their paperwork, Katz said.
The five who turned themselves in were arraigned Thursday in Queens Supreme Court and charged with a litany of crimes, including criminal possession of a forged instrument, falsifying business records and illegal voting, according to the statement.
They pleaded not guilty — but if they’re convicted, they could spend up to seven years in prison.
The defendants also turned in their passports, and are expected back in court on Sept. 19.
“Our democracy relies on integrity at the voting booth, and we will not allow that to be compromised in Queens County,” Katz said.
Pai won the Republican Party primary that summer, securing a narrow victory over opponent Danny Chen, according to the city’s election records.
But he was soundly beaten in the general election several months later, losing to Democrat Sandra Ung — who doubled the amount of votes Pai pulled in.