Queens man indicted for voter fraud after forging absentee ballots last summer in Democratic primary

Publish date: 2024-08-30

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A Queens man was arraigned Tuesday for allegedly requesting and submitting dozens of fraudulent absentee ballots ahead of the Democratic primary election in August 2022, the borough’s district attorney said.

Abdul Rahman, 32, of 257th Street in Floral Park, could serve up to seven years in prison after a monster 140-count indictment outlined how he pulled off the voter fraud plot in an attempt to disenfranchise 118 voters.

“Every vote has to count,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.

“Election integrity is the foundation of a viable, working democracy,” she continued.

“We will vigorously prosecute anyone who threatens in any way to undermine that integrity … The integrity of elections will be upheld in this borough.”

Prosecutors alleged that Richmond Hill resident Jordan Sandke went to his local polling place on Aug. 23, 2022, to vote in the Democratic primary.

Abdul Rahman, 32, of Floral Park, was arraigned Tuesday for allegedly requesting and submitting dozens of fraudulent absentee ballots ahead of the Democratic primary election in August 2022. AP

But when he got there, poll workers said he couldn’t cast a ballot because he’d already requested an absentee.

When authorities looked into it, they found Sandke’s ballot application — which included his name, address and birthday — had been signed and dated Aug. 1.

And Rahman was listed as the person who would pick it up.

Of course, Sandke never requested, filled out or signed the application.

Rahman is facing up to seven years in prison after a monster 140-count indictment outlined how he pulled off the voter-fraud plot that allegedly tried to disenfranchise 118 voters. AP

Also, he’d never met Rahman — and certainly never gave him the green light to pick up the ballot on his behalf.

As authorities continued to investigate, they found Rahman had gone to the Queens County Board of Elections to drop off 118 absentee ballot applications on Aug. 8.

He’d also designated himself as the person who would pick them up.

Of those, 32 were approved, Katz said. Rahman allegedly grabbed them the next day.

Rahman surrendered at the DA’s office on Tuesday with his defense attorney, Eric Renfroe, declining any further comments. AP

When law enforcement interviewed the voter fraud victims, they found that none of them had submitted the form or authorized Rahman to handle them.

For his alleged crimes, Rahman has been charged with 20 counts each of illegal voting, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, first-degree falsifying business records, first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, second-degree falsifying business records and second-degree offering a false instrument for filing.

Rahman surrendered at the DA’s office on Tuesday.

His Queens defense attorney, Eric Renfroe, declined to comment Tuesday.

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