Former Atlantic City Council President Sentenced Two Years for Mail-In Ballot Fraud

Craig Callaway admitted to orchestrating a payment-for-ballot operation ahead of the 2022 general election

CAMDEN, NJ — July 24, 2025 — Craig Callaway, a prominent political organizer and former President of the Atlantic City Council, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to procure and submit fraudulent mail-in ballots during the November 8, 2022 general election, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Callaway, 64, of Atlantic County, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to one count of depriving and defrauding New Jersey residents of a fair and impartial election process.

“Today’s sentence sends a clear message to those who seek to undermine New Jersey’s electoral process: that such conduct will result in serious consequences. The sentence also reflects our Office’s commitment to protecting free and fair elections, one of the bedrock principles of our democracy.” - U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

Details of the Fraud Scheme

According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, beginning in October 2022, Callaway directed others to recruit individuals in Atlantic City to act as purported authorized messengers for voters requesting mail-in ballots. These individuals were promised $30 to $50 each to carry out the task.

As part of the scheme:

• Callaway and his subordinates supplied individuals with Vote-By-Mail Applications.

• These individuals then entered the Atlantic County Clerk’s Office, where they signed the messenger portion of the applications and presented identification, as instructed.

• Once the applications were approved, ballots were issued to the messengers, who illegally delivered the ballots back to Callaway or his team, instead of the voters they were purportedly representing.

Under New Jersey law, messengers must deliver ballots directly to the requesting voters and certify they will do so. Instead, ballots collected by Callaway’s operation were used without voter authorization.

Investigators determined that many of the ballots were cast in the names of individuals who later confirmed they had not voted at all—either in person or by mail—and had not authorized anyone to vote on their behalf. Nevertheless, the fraudulent ballots were counted in the 2022 General Election.

“The right to vote is a fundamental aspect of our democracy, one that the FBI and our law enforcement partners strive to protect. Craig Callaway’s nefarious plot to hijack mail-in ballots resulted in his arrest and subsequent sentencing, and serves as a reminder to like-minded criminals, voter fraud will not be tolerated in New Jersey,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.

Sentencing and Enforcement

In addition to the two-year prison term, Chief Judge Bumb sentenced Callaway to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited the following agencies for their work on the case:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy

• FBI Atlantic City Resident Agency Public Corruption Task Force

• Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, led by Prosecutor William Reynolds

• Atlantic City Police Department, under Officer-in-Charge Chief James A. Sarkos

• New Jersey State Police, under Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan

• U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region

• U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General

• U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, led by Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James H. Graham of the Special Prosecutions Division.

The sentencing underscores the federal government's continued focus on safeguarding electoral processes and prosecuting fraud in all forms of voting.