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A woman from Marina Del Ray has admitted to illegally payinghomeless people on Skid Rowto register to vote in what prosecutors say is a 20-year scheme tied to illegal petition signature collection.
On several occasions, she even let homeless people use her own address to register, meaning mail-in ballots could be sent to her home, a plea agreement obtained by The California Post states.
Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, also known as “Anika,” took a plea deal for one felony count of paying another person to register to vote in a federal election, prosecutors announced Monday.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
“False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon in a statement. “This Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling – so that all Americans can accept the results with confidence.”
Prosecutors allege Armstrong targeted Skid Row because of its dense homeless population and regularly offered cash payments — typically between $2 and $3 — to persuade people to sign petitions.
The case centers in part on an incident that allegedly occurred on Jan. 30, 2026, when Armstrong knowingly paid another person for the purpose of getting them to register to vote in federal elections. The payment ranged from money or cigarettes, and phone cords, according to the plea agreement reviewed by the California Post.
Armstrong worked for roughly two decades as a paid petition circulator, collecting signatures for California ballot initiatives, recalls and referendums across the Los Angeles area, according to the Department of Justice.
Prior to 2025, authorities say Anika expanded the operation by also paying individuals to complete voter registration forms.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
