NC election fraud suspect pleads guilty, three suspects to face charges in 2023

There has been another guilty plea from one of the suspects accused of voter fraud in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District.

Caitlyn Croom pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for conspiracy to possess an absentee ballot, according to Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.

McCrae Dowless, the alleged ringleader in the fraud, worked in the 2018 congressional race for then-Republican candidate Mark Harris, who appeared to have received the most votes in the general election for the 9th District seat in south-central North Carolina.

ALSO READ: Election fraud suspect in 9th District pleads guilty; 4 others still due in court

But as Channel 9 discovered, allegations against Dowless surfaced, and testimony and other information revealed at a State Board of Elections hearing described him running an illegal “ballot harvesting” operation for the 2018 general election in Bladen County. In it, according to testimony, Dowless and his helpers, including Croom, gathered up hundreds of absentee ballots from voters by offering to put them in the mail.

Croom has been sentenced to 100 hours of community service.

This conviction leaves three suspects to face their charges in 2023.

(WATCH BELOW: Delay in case for 5 suspects facing election fraud charges tied to the 9th congressional district)