One person sentenced in 2022 Michigan election fraud case
One person accused of defrauding Michigan gubernatorial candidates in a 2022 signature fraud case was sentenced on Wednesday to four to 20 years in prison, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Shawn Wilmoth, of Warren, was convicted in February 2026 of one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, two counts of false pretenses $100,000 or more, two counts of false pretenses $50,000 to $100,000, three counts of false pretensess $20,000 to $50,000, seven counts of use of a computer to commit a crime $20,000 or more, and seven counts of election law forgery.
State prosecutors say Wilmoth, the owner and operator of First Choice LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC, charged the gubernatorial campaigns of Donna Brandenburg, Mike Brown, Perry Johnson and Michael Markey, and judicial candidates Tricia Dare, John Cahalan, and John Michael Malone nearly $400,000 for valid signature collection.
Wilmoth then delivered "tens of thousands of forged signatures on nomination petitions to the campaigns," according to the AG's office. Wilmoth is now ordered to pay $376,601 in restitution.
State officials say the candidates contracted with businesses owned by Wilmoth to complete the nomination signature requirements for the August 2022 primary election. The candidates were required to submit 15,000 signatures from voters to appear on the Republican primary ballot.
"This defendant ran a calculated scheme that sabotaged candidates and stripped Michigan voters of choices in the 2022 election," said Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement. "This conduct attacked the integrity of our electoral system, and I am proud of the work of my office and the Department of State in securing this sentence. We remain committed to fighting to hold those who commit election fraud accountable."
A second person, Willie Reed, of Pompano Beach, Florida, was also convicted for his involvement and will be sentenced on March 31. Prosecutors also charged a third person, Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin, but they were found not guilty.
