41 sealed ballots found at home: Pakistani immigrant and ex-lawmaker sentenced to three years for election fraud in California

A former Lodi city (California) councilman has been sentenced to three years in jail for his role in a major election fraud scheme that took place during local elections, authorities said.Shakir Khan, who used to be on the Lodi City Council in California, pleaded no contest in January 2024 to 77 criminal charges, including election fraud, money laundering, illegal gambling, tax evasion, and unemployment fraud. Earlier this week, a court sentenced Khan to three years in jail. One year of the sentence will be served under mandatory supervision, meaning he may serve part of it outside jail under strict conditions.

The court also imposed an eight‑year state prison sentence that is currently stayed. This means Khan will not go to state prison unless he violates terms of his supervision.Charges against Khan stem from actions during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, officials said. Investigators found 41 sealed mail‑in ballots stored at his home during the 2020 city council election. Authorities also discovered that at least 70 voter registrations used his home address, phone number or email address.

Khan originally faced as much as 40 years in prison before agreeing to a plea deal. The deal resolved multiple charges against him, though he later tried to withdraw his plea based on claims about his mental health. A judge denied that motion before issuing the sentence.In addition to the election fraud allegations, Khan admitted to other criminal activity, including running illegal gambling operations and committing unemployment insurance fraud.Khan served on the city council from November 2020 until he resigned in February 2023 after he was arrested on election‑related charges.Shakir Khan immigrated to the United States from Pakistan about 23 years ago. He grew up in Lodi, California, after arriving with his family from Pakistan, where he spoke no English.