A former Bridgeport City Council member and landlord who officials said forged the signatures of his tenants on absentee ballots so it would appear they had voted for him has been sentenced.
Michael DeFilippo, 38, was sentenced on Thursday and has been ordered to serve one year of probation, including three weekends of incarceration, and to pay a $15,000 fine, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
DeFilippo was a member of the Bridgeport City Council June 2018 until July 2021.
He represented the 133rd District, which is near the Sacred Heart University campus, and owned several rental properties that he leased to students at Sacred Heart University, according to federal officials.
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DeFilippo was elected to the Bridgeport City Council on June 26, 2018.
Federal officials said that DeFilippo stole and falsified Voter Registration Applications and absentee balloting documents, forged signatures, and submitted fraudulent election documents to election officials in the name of some of his tenants who resided in the 133rd District.
He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024 to deprivation of rights under color of law and he was sentenced on Thursday.
