Former Rensselaer County elections commissioner pleads guilty to ID theft

RENSSELAER, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Jason Schofield, a former Rensselaer County elections commissioner, has pleaded guilty to unlawfully using the names and dates of birth of voters to fraudulently apply for absentee ballots. Schofield, 43, faces up to five years in prison on each count (a 12-count indictment), a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to three years. Schofield was arrested in September of 2022.

The Department of Justice says Schofield pleaded guilty to unlawfully using the names and dates of birth of voters to fraudulently apply for absentee ballots during elections held in Rensselaer County in 2021. Schofield was an Elections Commissioner at the Rensselaer County Board of Elections until late last month when he resigned in anticipation of Wednesday’s guilty plea.

Sentencing for Schofield is scheduled for May 12.