Florida man accused of hacking into voter database to change Gov. Ron DeSantis' address
NAPLES, Fla. – A 20-year-old Florida man left Gov. Ron DeSantis stalled while attempting to vote, accused of changing the governor's address in the state's voter database.
Agents said Anthony Steven Guevara, of Naples, also accessed the voter registrations for U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and sports celebrities Michael Jordan and LeBron James, but made no changes.
Police arrested Guevara on Tuesday, a day after the governor discovered the anomaly while trying to cast a ballot.
According to investigators, Guevara logged onto the Florida Department of State website, entered the governor's date of birth (obtained through a Wikipedia search), and changed his address to a home in West Palm Beach, apparently that of a YouTube personality.
DeSantis votes in Leon County, home to Tallahassee.
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DeSantis did not approve any change of address, investigators said. He contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement immediately after learning of the address change.
His office did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.
A change of address discrepancy like that would not prevent a person from voting, said Trish Robertson, spokeswoman for the Collier County Supervisor of Elections Office. Robertson added that Guevara's actions were, at worst, a "very expensive prank."
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"We update voters’ addresses at the polling place all the time to ensure they can vote and that they vote the correct ballot," Robertson said. "A lot of people don’t think about updating their voting address until they actually show up to the polls."
The Leon County elections office did not immediately respond to an interview request.
Law enforcement tracked down Guevara's address by obtaining the IP address of the computer that sent the request and, via a subpoena to provider Comcast, discovered Guevara's address, according to the arrest report.
An FDLE digital forensic examiner later examined Guevara's laptop and found Google searches for "Florida my vote" and "Florida governor," investigators said. The computer also had accessed the website dos.myflorida.com and DeSantis' Wikipedia page.
Guevara was charged with unauthorized access of a computer and altering a voter registration without consent, both felonies. He was in the Collier County Jail on Wednesday morning on a $5,000 bond.
“I am proud of the quick and detailed work of our agents on this case and appreciate the hard work of the offices of State Attorneys Amira Fox and Jack Campbell," FDLE Commissioner Rick Swearingen said in a news release. "FDLE is committed to ensuring the voting rights of Florida citizens are protected, and we will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners in ensuring the security of our elections.”
Follow Florida watchdog reporter Frank Gluck on Twitter: @FrankGluck
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Gov. Ron DeSantis: Florida man accused of changing voter information
