A Marina Del Rey woman has received 18 months of probation and was ordered to complete 120 hours of community service after pleading guilty to orchestrating a scheme that paid homeless individuals on Skid Row to register to vote. Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, also known as “Anika,” was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi.

Armstrong had faced up to five years in prison for the felony count of paying another person to register to vote in a federal election. Prosecutors indicated her cooperation with authorities likely contributed to the lighter sentence. She had also allowed individuals to use her address for voter registration, potentially leading to mail-in ballots being sent to her home.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated that false registrations undermine faith in elections, especially when payments are involved. She affirmed the Justice Department's commitment to fair elections free from illegal interference.

Prosecutors allege Armstrong targeted the Skid Row area due to its large, vulnerable homeless population, offering them small sums of money, such as $2 or $3, to sign petitions or register to vote. Armstrong worked as a petition collector and was paid by unnamed coordinators for each registered voter's signature.

The sentencing occurred as federal authorities intensify efforts to combat voter fraud. The FBI is conducting a separate investigation into alleged voter fraud in Skid Row, also examining claims of payments to homeless individuals for registering to vote. In June, federal agents were observed interviewing homeless individuals in downtown Los Angeles regarding these allegations.

Officials are preparing to launch a multi-state initiative aimed at addressing voter fraud. Homeland Security Investigations is set to spearhead a "coordinated criminal voter fraud surge initiative" to pursue leads and support prosecutorial reviews. This effort will target eight other states including New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Georgia, Washington, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Missouri. This action aligns with escalated efforts by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles and local Homeland Security investigators to combat election fraud. Mana Del Rey woman Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, leaving Federal Court after her sentencing.