Florida officials announced Wednesday that a man was arrested for hacking a voter database and changing the address of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Collier County Sheriff’s office said 20-year-old Anthony Steven Guevara faces a third-degree felony charge for changing DeSantis’ registration, FOX35 reported. Guevara was also accused of accessing the voter information of U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
DeSantis found out about the registration change when he went to vote and was told his address was not listed as the governor’s mansion but Pretty Lane in West Palm Beach, FOX35 reported. DeSantis was able to vote despite the change.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis went to vote, only to learn that someone had changed his address in the state’s voter registration database. Investigators tracked the suspect. https://t.co/CZpGKlPTds
— FOX 35 Orlando (@fox35orlando) October 28, 2020
Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee maintained the information was changed on the Leon County supervisor of elections website and was not the result of a larger hack of the Florida Department of State’s website, according to FOX 35.
“Our systems are secure,” Lee said in a statement per the FOX affiliate. “There has been no breach to the Florida Department of State’s systems.” (RELATED: Judge Refuses To Extend Florida Voter Registration Deadline After Computer Meltdown)
“We encourage voters to check their voter registration for accuracy. Every eligible Florida voter will have the ability to cast a ballot and every ballot will be counted. We are working hard to ensure the safety and security of every voter,” Lee said.
Authorities executed a search warrant after they identified an IP address through comcast, per the report. A digital forensic examiner identified Guevara’s laptop as the computer used to change the information and access the elections website, the sheriff’s office said, according to FOX35.
“FDLE is committed to ensuring the voting rights of Florida citizens are protected, and we will continue to work with our local, state and federal partners in ensuring the security of our elections,” Rick Swearingen, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner, said.
Guevara’s charge could lead to up to five years and jail and $5,ooo in fines, the report added.