Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on April 30 that Henrilynn Ibezim, a former candidate for mayor in Plainfield, pleaded guilty to third-degree forgery after submitting fraudulent voter registration applications related to the June 2021 city election.
Ibezim, age 71 and a resident of Plainfield, entered his plea on April 27 before Judge Candido Rodriguez, Jr. in New Jersey Superior Court in Union County. The plea agreement calls for prosecutors to recommend probation at sentencing, which is scheduled for June 18. As part of the deal with the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability (OPIA), other charges will be dismissed and no further prosecution will occur regarding his conduct during the Democratic primary for mayor.
“My office is determined to ensure elections are fair and that their outcomes are determined by the will of the voters,” said Attorney General Davenport. “It is crucial to our system of government that those who engage in illegal and bad faith conduct during elections be held accountable. Failing to do so opens the door to a loss of public confidence in the democratic process.”
According to publicly filed documents cited by officials, Ibezim brought approximately 1,000 falsified voter registration applications—contained in a garbage bag—to an Elizabeth post office with intent to mail them to county authorities. Many forms allegedly included personal information used without authorization and were completed by only three or four people but did not indicate this as required.
The New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property while upholding legal standards across all counties and municipalities according to its official website. The office provides statewide law enforcement oversight, legal representation, crime lab support, victim advocacy services, consumer protection initiatives, and functions as an agency focused on justice and public safety according to its official website.
Deputy Attorney General Kelly Amorim accepted Ibezim’s plea on behalf of OPIA’s Corruption Bureau. Defense was provided by Elizabeth Janszky from the Union County Office of the Public Defender.
