GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – In a hearing that lasted less than 10 minutes, Vicki Stuart – one of two suspects in a 2024 election fraud case – pled guilty for her role in the scheme.

Stuart and her friend, Sally Maxedon, were accused of stealing residents’ ballots and filling them out before turning them in to the Mesa County Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

As part of the plea hearing, Stuart had 32 counts dropped, but she pled guilty to one count of identity theft and forgery, respectively. Stuart’s other charges included an attempt to influence a public servant.

Stuart said she doesn’t dispute the charges, telling Judge Brian Flynn, “I feel guilty for the part I played.”

According to the original arrest affidavit, the pair wanted to “test” the voting signature systems. Stuart worked at the United States Postal Service, and it’s believed she took the ballots from USPS for Maxedon to fill out.

As last reported, there were 16 known victims who had their ballots stolen.

Alarm bells started going off at the Mesa County Elections office just a few weeks before Election Day. Staff learned residents had received notifications that their ballots were rejected due to signature discrepancies, even though the voters said they never got their mail-in ballots.

Originally, Maxedon admitted to the scheme while Stuart denied the claims.

Stuart’s sentencing hearing will be at 8:30 a.m. on June 25. Maxedon will be in court at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 8.