Lackawanna County detective charges two with illegally writing on ballots on Election Day

A Lackawanna County judge of elections and her son were charged Friday with election fraud and tampering with ballots on Election Day.

Kathie Sico, 67, and her son, Michael Sico, 46, who both live at the same Dunmore address, wrote her name on ballots so she could gain votes for judge of elections at one of Scranton’s Jackson Heights precincts, according to arrest affidavits.

County Detective Colleen Catanese charged both with fraud by election officers, interference with an election, forging and destroying ballots and tampering with a public record.

Catanese found 35 of 141 valid ballots had Kathie Sico’s name written in the section for election a judge of elections and/or inspector of elections. Of five other ballots discarded because of “imperfections or issues with the voting,” two more had Sico’s name in the judges of election section, according to the affidavits.



https://www.wvia.org/news/local/2025-11-14/lackawanna-county-detective-charges-two-with-illegally-writing-on-ballots-on-election-day