Maria Guadalupe Bautista found guilty of 13 counts of fraudulent use of personal information, faces mandatory prison sentence.
MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A Marion County woman was found guilty on July 30, 2025, for her role in a petition fraud scheme that undermined the democratic process. Maria Guadalupe Bautista, 26, was convicted on 13 counts of Fraudulent Use of Personal Information after a jury trial. She now faces a minimum-mandatory prison sentence of three years.
The investigation began in November 2021 when the Marion County Supervisor of Elections’ Office reported a complaint of widespread fraud related to a petition for Constitutional Amendment 21-16, which sought to authorize casino gaming. Staff discovered fraudulent petitions with Bautista’s signature as the paid circulator.
Upon further review, numerous forms submitted by Bautista had signatures that did not match voter rolls. The fraud was so brazen that two of the forms contained signatures of deceased registered voters…