Fraudulent petition could land Wisconsin man in jail for 50 years

Between November 15 and January 14, Racine, Wisconsin, native Mark Demet allegedly forged the signatures of seven people for a petition to recall state Senator Van Wanggaard, the Journal Sentinel reports. According to the Journal Times, Demet forged the signatures using false identity authentication. One victim, his brother Jeff, was unknowingly listed on the petition four times. Other signatures belonged to deceased man Ralph Peterson and his widow, Violet. As a result, Demet faces nine charges - two counts of election fraud and seven counts of felony identity theft. If convicted of all charges, he faces 50 years in prison and a $90,000 fine.  "I'm certainly glad that they are prosecuting (Demet) demonstrating that we will not accept fraud in Racine County," blogger Ken Brown told the news source. Demet's ex-wife Kathy added that she believed he created the petition as a joke, and that he wouldn't do anything to "intentionally hurt anyone," as quoted by the media outlet. Demet's initial court appearance is scheduled for March 13.