Jesse Scheckner
An Ocala woman faces up to 210 years in prison after a Marion County jury convicted her this week of 13 felony counts of fraudulent use of personal identification information stemming from a 2021 petition fraud scheme linked to a failed casino gaming ballot initiative.
Maria Guadalupe Bautista, a former paid petition circulator registered to vote as a Democrat in Gainesville, was found guilty on 13 of 16 counts filed by prosecutors with the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, according to court records and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
Each violation is a second-degree felony under Florida Statutes, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. If sentenced to the maximum on each of the 13 counts, Bautista could face up to 195 years behind bars. With two additional counts involving separate conduct, her total exposure rises to 210 years.
Bautista was 24 at the time of her arrest in August 2023. She turned 26 this month.
The case originated in November 2021, when officials with the Marion County Supervisor of Elections alerted FDLE to suspected fraud involving petition signatures tied to a proposed constitutional amendment for the limited authorization of casino gaming.
According to the Ocala Gazette, election officials flagged 767 suspected fraudulent forms, 191 of which Bautista submitted. State investigators confirmed 16 of her petitions contained forged signatures, including two allegedly signed by people who died before the forms were dated.
The forged petitions were intended to help the casino amendment qualify for the 2022 ballot, though the measure ultimately failed to reach the required threshold. If successful, the amendment would have allowed cardroom licensees to offer casino gaming if they invested in new development and construction.
The FDLE arrested Bautista on Aug. 29, 2023, and booked her at the Alachua County Jail on $80,000 bond. She was later transferred to the Marion County Jail. Her charges were brought in the Marion County Circuit Court.
In court, the jury found Bautista guilty on counts 1, 2, 4 through 10, and 13 through 16, all involving the unauthorized use of other individuals’ personal identification to submit fraudulent petitions.
She was acquitted on counts 3, 11, and 12.
Judge Peter Brigham presided over the case. Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon prosecuted the case. Lawyer Everett Williams of the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel served as Bautista’s defense attorney.
Bautista pleaded not guilty on Sept. 7, 2023, court records show. On Dec. 28, 2023, she waived her right to a speedy trial.
