Nicole Torres, 44, a former elected leader of the Bronx 81st Assembly District and NYC Board of Elections (BOE) employee, was sentenced on Sept. 2 to two years in prison on extortion and bribery charges.
Torres pled guilty in federal court in April to running two different poll worker schemes that abused her position as a BOE employee and earned her nearly $69,000 in illegal payments.
First, between 2019 and August 2024, Torres was accused of hiring residents who wanted to be poll workers and demanding they pay money, usually $150, directly to her or to an unnamed Bronx organization in exchange for the job. In some instances, Torres allegedly changed the name on checks so that she could deposit the money. From this scheme, she was accused of pocketing $28,000 in illegal payments.
Second, between 2018 and August 2024, Torres was accused of falsifying Board of Elections employment records to show that certain poll workers had worked shifts that they did not. Torres and unnamed coconspirators then allegedly pocketed the salaries of the absent poll workers and split it amongst themselves, with Torres personally taking in close to $41,000.
In addition to her prison sentence, Torres was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay a forfeiture of $40,970.
“For years, Nicole Torres abused her power to corrupt one of New York City’s most fundamental democratic processes,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in a statement announcing the sentencing. “By shaking down Bronx residents and falsifying election records, she undermined trust in the very system New Yorkers depend on to make their voices heard. New Yorkers can and should rely on the integrity of the election process, and public officials who contaminate the process and betray this city and its people will be held accountable.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
