On October 2, Attorney General Tim Griffin, Secretary of State Cole Jester, and Benton County Prosecutor Bryan Sexton held a press conference to announce the arrest of three women for voter fraud.
Cecilia Castellanos, a Cuban, was detained on Sept. 30 on accusations of perjury and violating election laws; she worked at a dental clinic in Springdale and voted in the general election, according to Griffin. She is reportedly being held at the Benton County Jail by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has had a deportation order since 1999.
Chi Baum, a Nigerian, was detained on October 1 and faces charges of perjury and election law violations. According to Griffin, Baum voted Republican in the 2024 general election.
According to Griffin, Zlata Risley of Kazakhstan was detained on September 30 and faces a charge of violating election laws despite being a lawful permanent resident. Risley allegedly voted in the 2024 Republican primary.
All three ladies apparently stated that they were citizens at the time of voting and did not register based on party allegiance.
“This is not a long-term issue, but when we become aware of it, we will address it. “These are unusual in my experience,” Griffin added. “I would note that at least two of the three [accused] are Republicans, [but] we’re an equal opportunity prosecutor.”
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