Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Friday that a Seminole County man was recently arrested for petition fraud in collecting signatures for a pro-marijuana legalization group, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Alexander Dean Francis, 33, of Winter Springs, was arrested in Flagler County on Thursday by FDLE, a news release from the agency said. FDLE says Francis was a registered paid petition circulator to gather signatures for a 2024 state constitutional amendment backed by Smart & Safe Florida.
Amendment 3, which sought to legalize recreational marijuana usage in Florida, received 56% of the vote but did not reach the required 60% to become law.
An investigation found Francis submitted hundreds of fraudulent petitions to Supervisor of Elections offices across Florida, including many in Flagler County, the FDLE release said. At least 35 victims, many over the age of 60, reported that their personal information was stolen and used without their knowledge or consent.
“Targeting seniors and exploiting their identities to commit voter fraud and change our state’s constitution is abhorrent and an affront to our republican form of government,” Uthmeier said in the release. “My office will continue to hold petition fraudsters accountable and protect the sanctity of the Florida Constitution.”
Francis is charged with one count of criminal use of personal identification information involving more than 30 victims and 37 counts of using the personal identification of a victim over 60 years of age, according to the release. FDLE said that his bond is set at $210,000.
Records show he was in custody at the Seminole County Jail and had his first court appearance at 2 p.m. Friday.
Smart & Safe Florida is currently collecting signatures to get a similar amendment on the ballot in 2026. It reported it had collected 661,327 valid signatures as of Thursday.
It needs 880,062 signatures by January, as well as language approval from the state Supreme Court, in order for its initiative to appear before voters in 2026.
Smart & Safe Florida Chair David Bellamy could not be reached for comment. The group’s spokesperson, Steve Vancore, declined to comment on the situation.
