Russian and Uzbek Nationals Charged with Conspiracy to File
False Voter Registration Applications
Monday, February 3, 2025
Office of Public Affairs
A Russian national and an Uzbek national, both residing in
Florida, were arrested for their alleged participation in a scheme to submit
false and fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County,
Florida, Supervisor of Elections.
According to court filings, Dmitry Shushlebin, 45, a citizen
of Russia living in Miami Beach, and Sanjar Jamilov, 33, a citizen of
Uzbekistan living in St. Petersburg, conspired to submit 132 fraudulent voter
registration applications to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections in
February and March 2023. These applications were submitted in names other than
their own, in envelopes with return and address labels that were identically
formatted, including containing the same typographical error, and bore various
indicia of fraud including, among other things, repeating dates of birth and
addresses and nearly sequential social security numbers. Change of address
forms were also submitted to the U.S. Postal Service to route mail to the names
and addresses on the fraudulent applications to three locations that Shushlebin
and Jamilov allegedly controlled.
Shushlebin and Jamilov are each charged with one count of
conspiring to submit fraudulent voter registration applications and give false
information in registering to vote. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty
of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any
sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory
factors.
Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice
Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle
District of Florida, Acting Inspector in Charge Steven Hodges of the U.S.
Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division, and Special Agent in Charge
Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office made the announcement.
USPIS, FBI, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
are investigating the case. This case began after a referral from the Florida
Department of State, Office of Election Crime and Security.
Trial Attorney Leo J. Wise of the Criminal Division’s Public
Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle
District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants
are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court
of law.
Updated