Three Charged in Alleged LA Petition Signature Fraud Scheme

Federal authorities have arrested a California man accused of paying homeless people in Los Angeles to forge petition signatures using the identities of registered voters, in a case that has led to federal charges against three defendants. James Brass, 47, also known as Lord, was taken into federal custody Thursday morning in Victorville, roughly 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles, according to the Justice Department. Brass is charged in Los Angeles federal court along with two petition circulators who allegedly worked for him: Courtney Price, 49, of Jacksonville, Florida, and Jateisha Herron, 33, of Boron, California. All three are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony, while Brass and Price face an additional count of identity fraud in furtherance of a state felony, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The indictment was returned Wednesday. Prosecutors allege that from February through August 2026, the defendants used a database to identify registered California voters.