A fifth arrest has been made in the criminal case surrounding an absentee ballot harvesting operation in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District.
A statement by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman indicated that Rebecca Thompson was arrested on March 7th after turning herself in at the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office.
Thompson is charged with conspiracy to commit felonious obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots.
The man allegedly running the operation, Leslie McCrae Dowless, was first indicted by Grand Jury and then swiftly arrested. Dowless is charged with three counts of felonious obstruction of justice, two counts of conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice and two counts of possession of absentee ballots.
Dowless, who was arrested by the State Bureau of Investigation in Bladensboro. was released on a secure bond of $30,000.
Three other individuals have been arrested in connection with Dowless’ alleged absentee ballot harvesting operation.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation arrested Caitlyn Croom on March 3 in New Hanover County. Croom is charged with conspiracy to commit felony obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots.
Tonia Marie Gordon and Matthew Monroe Mathis were also taken into custody March 5th Gordon turned herself in at the Bladen County Magistrate’s office and Mathis was arrested by the Sampson County Sheriff’s office.
Both Gordon and Mathis are charged with felonious obstruction of justice and possession of absentee ballots. Mathis is also charged with falsely signing an absentee ballot.
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A.P. Dillon is the North Carolina Bureau Chief for The Tennesee Star and a reporter at Battleground State News. Follow A.P. Dillon on Twitter. Email Tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bladen County Sheriff’s Office” by Bladen County Sheriff’s Office.
