Two San Luis women to be sentenced for Ballot Harvesting

Fuentes and Juarez scheduled for sentencing on July 7 - News 11's Samantha Byrd reports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) -  Thursday the two San Luis women found guilty of ballot abuse, were set to learn their fate and how much time they’d spend behind bars.

Now almost two years after the crime was committed, this is now the third time the sentencing has been delayed.

The bailiff telling our team the sentencing had been vacated by Guillermina Fuentes and Alma Juarez to potentially get a lighter sentence.

Requests to postpone the sentencing by both women and their defense team have all been granted by Judge Nelson.

“The point is that Roger Nelson is being anything but tough on this woman and especially someone who was an elected official herself, who knew better. She knew better and yet she violated the public trust and she violated federal law, said Yuma resident, Connie Uribe.

San Luis resident, Gary Snyder says Fuentes has a habit of moving her court dates.

“This is a tragedy of our judicial system because once she’s a felon, which she already said she was, there’s no compromise we’re already at eight times that she’s vacated and moved her court dates,” said Snyder.

Fuentes and Juarez each pleaded guilty to a charge of ballot abuse, saying they collected early ballots for people who weren’t family members, didn’t live with them or weren’t receiving care from them.

Fuentes could be facing up to 3 years probation or up to two years behind bars.

While Juarez's conviction is a misdemeanor, and under her plea agreement, if she has cooperated as promised she will be sentenced to probation.

Gary Snyder says he caught Fuentes and Juarez on camera with several mail-in envelopes outside Cesar Chavez Cultural center in San Luis on the day of the 2020 Primary Election.

“Live videos the day of the voting that the attorney generals and all the lawyers have, but now I made sure that the whole nation saw exactly the whole video entirely,” said Snyder.

The sentencing has been postponed until September first.