A Ouachita County resident has been arrested on felony charges related to voter fraud during the 2024 general election, following an investigation by the Arkansas Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit (EIU).
Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Monday that Thomas Wesson has been charged with perjury and illegal voting, stemming from his alleged attempt to unlawfully participate in the November 2024 election.
According to investigators, Wesson cast a provisional ballot in Ouachita County but failed to follow proper procedures, instead unlawfully inserting the ballot directly into the tabulator—a violation of election protocol.
Further investigation revealed that Wesson is a convicted felon, having been found guilty of possession of narcotics, a Class C felony, in 2000. Despite this, Wesson had falsely stated on his Arkansas Voter Registration Application that he had never been convicted of a felony.
Under Arkansas law, individuals convicted of a felony are prohibited from voting unless they have fully completed their sentence and had their voting rights officially restored. Wesson had not met those requirements at the time he voted.
Agents with the Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit, along with assistance from the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Office, arrested Wesson without incident. He has been charged with:
-
One count of perjury (Class C felony)
-
One count of illegal voting (Class D felony)
Wesson was booked into the Ouachita County Jail, and the case will be prosecuted by Thirteenth Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Rogers.
Attorney General Griffin praised the collaboration that led to Wesson’s arrest, stating, “I commend my EIU agents, Prosecutor Jeff Rogers, the State Board of Election Commissioners, and the Ouachita County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this case. Election integrity remains a top priority for my office.”
