A fourth Villager has been arrested on a charge of voter fraud.
Charles Franklin Barnes, 64, who lives in the Callahan Villas in the Village of Osceola Hills was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a felony charge of voter fraud at the Wildwood Police Department. The arrest document indicates he cast more than one ballot in an election.
He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $2,000 bond.
Barnes and his wife purchased their villa in 2015. The property appraiser’s record indicates the couple’s primary address remains in Milford, Conn. Barnes registered to vote on Oct. 17, 2019 in Sumter County. He is registered with No Party Affiliation.
Barnes is the latest Villager to be arrested on a voting fraud charge. The others are:
• Joan Halstead, 72, of the Village of Palo Alto is facing a felony charge of voter fraud. A document on file in Sumter County Court indicates she cast a 2020 general election ballot on Oct. 20, 2020 in person in Sumter County. She also cast a second ballot in New York by absentee. She is a registered Republican.
• Jay Richard Ketcik, 63, who lives at 5564 Henry Loop in the Village of Monarch Grove, is also facing a charge of voter fraud. The Manistique, Mich. native cast a ballot in Florida by mail on Oct. 13, 2020. He also cast a second ballot in Michigan via absentee ballot, according to an arrest report. He is a registered Republican.
• John Rider, 61, a resident of the Village of Virginia Trace, cast his ballot in person during early voting Oct. 28, 2020 in Sumter County. He also cast an absentee ballot in New York, according to an arrest document. Rider and his wife Carol purchased their home in 2019 at 904 Moses Loop in The Villages. He is registered as a voter with No Party Affiliation in Sumter County. He was arrested in December in Brevard County.
