Statewide prosecutors drop election crimes charges against Tampa felon
TAMPA, Fla. - Statewide prosecutors dropped election crimes charges against a Tampa felon arrested during a voter fraud crackdown in September.
The state decided not to move forward with charges against Tony Patterson, 44, entering a court filing in the case Monday.
"The defendant was recently sentenced for failing to register as a sex offender in two separate cases and is headed to prison," Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox told FOX 13. "Further, the Office of Statewide Prosecution received additional information which led it to conclude that the charge of providing false information to [an elections] supervisor was beyond the statute of limitations."
Following the constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2018, the voting rights of felons was restored, excluding people convicted of murder or felony sex offenses.
Patterson served time in state prison for a sex offense in 2000 and is currently back in prison after he was sentenced again for failing to register as a sex offender in two separate cases.
He was among the 20 felons arrested during an election crimes roundup by Gov. Ron DeSantis' newly created Office of Election Crimes and Security.
Each of those taken into custody have said they were told by officials they could vote and received voter identification cards.
Last month, a judge in Miami determined the state didn't have jurisdiction in another voter fraud case and dismissed the charges. An FDLE spokesperson told FOX 13 law enforcement charged two more people with elections crimes in connection with the primary election earlier this month.