Ex-Florida State Senator Frank Artiles was found guilty last month of campaign finance crimes as part of a political scheme. Artiles could face up to 15 years in prison — a sentence to be decided on Monday.
A jury found Artiles, a Republican, guilty of masterminding a so-called ghost candidate scheme to help unseat a Democrat state Senator in 2020.
Artiles helped to recruit and fund a third party candidate with a similar name to incumbent Democrat Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez.
"The idea was to redirect votes from Rodriguez so he would lose. It worked, and a Republican won the seat," according to WLRN’s Joshua Ceballos. "Artiles was found guilty of making excessive campaign contributions and procuring a false oath."
The sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice building.
READ MORE: Report reveals Florida's 'workforce' housing is unaffordable for many public sector workers
This is a News In Brief report. Visit WLRN News for in-depth reporting from South Florida and Florida news.