Willie Reed of Pompano Beach, Florida, was sentenced on Mar. 31 to a prison term of 24 months to 240 months by Judge James Maceroni in the 16th Circuit Court in Macomb County after being convicted for his role in a fraudulent signature collection scheme during Michigan’s 2022 gubernatorial election cycle. Reed was also ordered to pay $333,817 in restitution to the affected candidates.
The sentencing follows Reed’s conviction by a Macomb County jury for conducting a criminal enterprise and defrauding gubernatorial candidates James Craig, Perry Johnson, Michael Markey, and Ryan Kelley. The Michigan Attorney General’s office said that Reed and co-defendant Shawn Wilmoth operated businesses contracted by these campaigns or their consultants to gather nomination signatures required for placement on the August 2022 primary ballots. Instead of collecting valid signatures, tens of thousands were forged and submitted. Wilmoth received a sentence earlier this month ranging from four to twenty years.
Attorney General Dana Nessel said, “The actions of the defendants deliberately undermined our electoral process and denied voters their choices in our primary. I hope this outcome serves as a deterrent to others who attempt to subvert our system. My department remains committed to defending the integrity of our elections and is pleased that Mr. Wilmoth and Mr. Reed will be held fully accountable for their fraudulent scheme.”
Reed was found guilty on multiple counts including conducting a criminal enterprise; several counts of false pretenses involving large sums; use of computers to commit crimes; larceny by conversion; and election law forgery. The forged petitions were quickly detected by the Michigan Bureau of Elections before being referred for investigation by the Department of Attorney General in June 2022.
According to the official website, Dana Nessel has served as Michigan’s 54th attorney general with statewide authority aimed at protecting residents across Michigan through various initiatives such as public service efforts against human trafficking, support for vulnerable populations, policy influence like drafting Clean Slate expungement laws in 2019, and advancing social efforts.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by state authorities—such as those led by the Department of Attorney General—to uphold election integrity throughout Michigan according to its official website.
