Conn. dropping charges in voter-fraud case stemming from Hartford City Hall corruption probe

Conn. dropping charges in voter-fraud case

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut authorities have decided not to prosecute a businessman who was arrested last year during a corruption investigation.

Carlos Lopez was charged with voting fraudulently in Hartford three times rather than in his hometown, Farmington.

Lopez reached a consent agreement with the State Elections Enforcement Commission that included a $4,000 fine. Prosecutors on Tuesday also said Lopez believed he was allowed to vote in Hartford because he was a former resident and still had business interests there.

Lopez was arrested in a corruption investigation in which Mayor Eddie Perez has pleaded not guilty to attempted extortion and bribe-taking charges. Prosecutors say Lopez was not a target of the probe.

Information from: The Hartford Courant, www.courant.com