By Matt Sepic, KWMU.
St. Louis, MO. – Federal prosecutors have charged five East St. Louis poll workers with vote fraud.
Authorities say the group tried to influence voters in the November election by giving them cash.
U.S. Attorney Ronald Tenpas says East. St. Louis Democratic Committee chairman Charles Powell Jr. was the alleged ringleader.
"The indictment describes a scheme, by which Mr. Powell convened organizational meetings at the party headquarters in order to set strategy to maximize the vote at the November, 2004 general election," Tenpas said.
Tenpas says four additional people have pleaded guilty in the case.
In January, federal authorities brought corruption charges against four East St. Louis city workers in a separate case.
Two of those people pleaded guilty last week.