A Republican activist who supports former President Donald Trump in The Villages is facing voter fraud accusations that he forged the signature on his dead father’s mail ballot in the 2020 election.
Robert Rivernider Jr., 58, was charged last week with forgery of a public record and fraud in connection with casting a vote, according to court records in Sumter County. A convicted felon released from prison in May 2020, he owes $22 million in restitution to victims of an investment scam, court records show.
His latest charges stem from a ballot that was postmarked Oct. 23, 2020, four days after Rivernider’s father died, Walter Forgie, chief assistant state attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, said on Tuesday.
A handwriting expert determined the ballot had been forged, he said.
“We take these crimes seriously and thank the supervisor of elections for his work on the case,” Forgie said.
In an interview, Rivernider denied wrongdoing. He said his father died of COVID-19, and he didn’t know if his father even voted in that election.
“People who don’t like my effectiveness in helping President Trump want to take me out,” he said, calling the charges politically motivated.
Rivernider joined political life in The Villages after he was released early from federal prison in May 2020. He was sentenced in 2013 to 12 years in prison for operating two bogus investment schemes that bilked investors and lenders out of more than $25 million.
Rivernider said he is a Villagers for Trump board member and worked as a field coordinator for the Republican Party of Florida in support of Trump’s campaign in 2020.
He volunteered for congressional candidate Laura Loomer in 2022. She was defeated by U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster in the GOP primary.
Loomer defended Rivernider, who she said helped with signs and door-knocking during her campaign.
“He regretted his previous actions,” she said. “He said he was trying to rebuild his life and he was very passionate about politics and he really wanted to vote and he would only vote if it were legal.”
Rivernider was granted compassionate release during the pandemic and is serving supervised release until May 2025, said Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.
His monthly payment on the massive restitution debt is $400, court records show.
Rivernider also faced scrutiny for an Oct. 31 absentee ballot officials say he cast in the 2022 election, despite being a felon who owes restitution.
But in a Dec. 9 memo, the state attorney’s office concluded “the state cannot prove … beyond a reasonable doubt” that Rivernider knowingly cast the absentee ballot illegally.
Rivernider said he was advised by an elections official he could vote if he applied and received a voter ID card. Rivernider said he doesn’t recall voting, although state records show that he did.
Sumter County Supervisor of Elections Bill Keen did not respond to a request for comment.
Most Florida felons are eligible to have their voting rights restored, but they must complete all the terms of their sentence, including parole, probation and payment of fines and fees.
The Villages has been making headlines for other voter fraud arrests. Four people were charged with voting twice in the 2020 election and later admitted guilt.
In August 2022, DeSantis announced the arrest of 20 felons on voter fraud charges. They were accused of violating a prohibition that bars people convicted of sex offenses and murder from voting.
Court records, though, revealed confusion with ineligible felons being issued voter ID cards leading some to believe they could legally vote.
Some of those cases have been dismissed, while others resulted in plea deals or are pending.
