Florida Law Enforcement Announce Two Arrests for Alleged Election Crimes Violations

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on Wednesday announced the arrests of two individuals — Donna Prentes Brady, 66, and Toye Ann La Rocca, 63 — for alleged election crimes violations.

Authorities arrested Brady on March 13 on two counts of casting more than one ballot in any election, according to the release. She reportedly voted in-person for the 2020 state primary and general election in Florida and by mail in those same elections for New Jersey. Her alleged violations amount to a third-degree felony.

According to the release, the Office of the State Attorney, Fifth Judicial Circuit, is prosecuting the case.

Authorities arrested La Rocca last week on “one count of false swearing of voter registration information and two counts of unqualified electors willfully voting, all third-degree felonies,” per the release, which explained that the woman voted in 2022 while serving probation for a DUI conviction.

Per the release:

Because La Rocca is a convicted felon, she cannot vote until she completes her sentence.  La Rocca voted in person for the primary election in Okaloosa County and voted by mail in the general election.

La Rocca was arrested last Wednesday by Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputies and booked into the Okaloosa County Jail. She will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, First Judicial Circuit.

The arrests come nearly a year after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law crafting a law enforcement unit focused on protecting election integrity and increasing penalties for certain voting violations.

As Breitbart News reported:

Florida Senate Bill 524 created the Office of Election Crimes and Security under Florida’s State Department. The newly created office is allowed to review allegations of voter fraud and conduct preliminary investigations into the allegations.

Before this law, Florida’s governor could appoint officers to investigate alleged violations of state election law. According to the AP, it is now mandatory for the governor to select a group of special officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to handle election law violations.

“Some of them may not care as much about the election stuff. I think it’s been mixed at how those reactions are going to be. So we just want to make sure whatever laws are on the books, that those laws are enforced,” DeSantis said at the time.

Months later, DeSantis announced charges against 20 individuals — former convicts — found with voting illegally in the 2020 election.