Man gets prison for fake signatures that roiled Michigan governor race

A Florida man was sentenced to two to 20 years in prison Tuesday, March 31 for his role in a fraudulent petition scandal that derailed the candidacies of five Republican candidates for Michigan governor in 2022, according to online court records.

Macomb County Circuit Judge James Maceroni also ordered Willie Reed to pay nearly $334,000 in restitution to the campaigns that were victimized, records show. The judge ordered about $137,000 of that amount to go to Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson, who was disqualified from the primary ballot for governor in 2022 and is running again this year, and about $119,000 to former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, whose bid for Michigan governor ended when he was disqualified from the 2022 primary ballot.

“The actions of the defendants deliberately undermined our electoral process and denied voters their choices in our primary,” Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a news release. “I hope this outcome serves as a deterrent to others who attempt to subvert our system.”

In February, a jury convicted Reed, co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC and owner/operator of Petitions Reed LLC, of about a dozen fraud-related charges and conducting a criminal enterprise, while acquitting him of about 17 other charges. Convicted of 22 fraud-related charges, including conducting a criminal enterprise, was co-defendant Shawn Wilmoth of Warren, owner/operator of First Choice LLC and co-owner of Mack Douglas LLC. A third defendant, Jamie Wilmoth of Warren, was acquitted of all charges.

Prosecutors said the defendants charged campaigns more than $700,000 for valid signatures but knowingly delivered tens of thousands of forged signatures on nomination petitions to eight campaigns, including three judicial campaigns. The fraudulent signatures were later discovered by Michigan Bureau of Elections officials, after which the Board of State Canvassers ordered disqualifications. The candidates themselves were not accused of wrongdoing.

“He was treated fairly by the judge,” Reed’s attorney, Wright Blake of Detroit, told the Detroit Free Press after the March 31 sentencing.

However, Reed wants to appeal his convictions, Blake said, and the judge granted him an appeal bond to allow him to do so.

Shawn Wilmoth was sentenced to four to 20 years in prison on March 18 after a jury convicted him Feb. 9 of conducting a criminal enterprise and defrauding gubernatorial candidates Johnson, Donna Brandenburg, Mike Brown, and Michael Markey, as well as three judicial candidates. Shawn Wilmoth was acquitted on charges related to Craig’s petition signatures.

Maceroni ordered Wilmoth to pay $376,601 in restitution to the victims.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com