Paid Circulator Arrested for Submitting Hundreds of Fraudulent Signatures

In a concerning development, the Florida Attorney General's office announced last week that a Seminole County man has been arrested for petition fraud related to a pro-marijuana legalization group.

Alexander Dean Francis, 33, of Winter Springs, was taken into custody on Thursday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in Flagler County. Francis was a registered paid petition circulator tasked with gathering signatures for a 2024 state constitutional amendment backed by the organization Smart & Safe Florida.

The investigation revealed that Francis submitted hundreds of fraudulent petitions to Supervisor of Elections offices across Florida, including many in Flagler County. Shockingly, at least 35 victims, many over the age of 60, reported that their personal information was stolen and used without their knowledge or consent.

"Targeting seniors and exploiting their identities to commit voter fraud and change our state's constitution is abhorrent and an affront to our republican form of government," said Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in a statement. He vowed that his office will continue to hold petition fraudsters accountable and protect the integrity of the Florida Constitution.

Francis now faces one count of criminal use of personal identification information involving more than 30 victims, as well as 37 counts of using the personal identification of a victim over 60 years of age. His bond has been set at $210,000.

Smart & Safe Florida is currently collecting signatures for a similar marijuana legalization amendment to appear on the 2026 ballot. The group reported having 661,327 valid signatures as of last Thursday, still short of the 880,062 needed by January to get the initiative in front of voters.