Federal authorities arrested a Victorville man on Thursday, charging him and two others with paying people on Skid Row to sign petitions using the stolen identities of registered voters.
James Brass, 47, of Victorville allegedly managed a team of signature collectors and also collected signatures himself for ballot petitions used to shape California law, according to a federal indictment returned Wednesday. Prosecutors say Brass was also known by the nickname “Lord” and controlled a company named Pinnacle Brass LLC.
Brass pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon in federal court in Riverside and was ordered released on a $10,000 bond. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 2. A deputy federal public defender representing Brass did not immediately respond to a request for comment…