A 75-year-old Symmes Township man charged with illegally casting an absentee ballot for his deceased wife last fall has asked a Hamilton County Common Pleas Court judge to place him in a diversion program, thus avoiding jail time.
Russell Glossop was charged with voter fraud after mailing in an absentee for his wife, Betty Ann Glossop, who died on Oct. 1 last year. She had requested an absentee ballot in August. The absentee ballots were not mailed out until Oct. 4, three days after her death.
Glossop is one of three persons charged with voter fraud.
Melowese Richardson, a poll worker at the Madisonville Recreation Center on election day last November, is charged with voting twice and casting ballots for seven other people. She is due in court Wednesday.
Marguerite Kloos, a nun of the Sisters of Charity, was charged with voting for another nun who had already died. Her lawyer contacted the prosecutor, who said she intends to plead guilty. She is to appear in court April 16.
A disposition scheduling conference was held Tuesday morning in the courtroom of Judge Ethna Cooper, where Glossop's attorney asked that his client be considered for a diversion program for first-time offenders. In order to qualify, he would have to enter a guilty plea to the charge.
Cooper set a hearing on Glossop's request for May 14.
Illegally casting a ballot is a fourth-degree felony in Ohio, punishable by up to 18 months in prison for each offense.
