Guilty Pleas in Ohio Robocall Scheme Stemmed From 2020 Indictment

The guilty pleas Monday in the Court of Common Pleas in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, of two conservative operatives in a robocalling scheme to disrupt the 2020 election in favor of then-President Donald Trump were the culmination of an October 2020 grand jury indictment accusing them each of eight counts of telecommunications fraud, said court papers. Jacob Wohl, 24, of Irvine, California, and Jack Burkman, 56, of Arlington, Virginia, face sentencing in late November on one count each of telecommunications fraud under their plea deals. The defendants were known for “peddling conspiracy theories,” including false sexual assault allegations against Pete Buttigieg, now transportation secretary; Anthony Fauci, director-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and former special counsel Robert Mueller, said state prosecutors in a September 2021 response to the defendants’ motion to dismiss (docket CR 20 654013-B). The pair sent out robocalls “specifically targeting minority voters” in heavily Democratic areas in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, New York and Philadelphia, said prosecutors. “They targeted these areas to try to intimidate, suppress, and place fear on voters by falsely claiming on the robocall that law enforcement would execute outstanding warrants,” or that creditors would collect on outstanding debts, they said. They also told call recipients that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “would use voter information from mail in voting to ensure mandatory vaccinations,” they said. “The defendants used computers and computer systems throughout the conspiracy and as a vehicle to deliver their false and intimidating message to minority voters.” Voter intimidation “won’t be tolerated in Ohio,” said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) in a statement Monday. His office's Robocall Enforcement Unit "assisted in the investigation" and was able to partner with prosecutors "to shut down these two people," he said.