“You are a charlatan”: Judge sentences defiant Tina Peters to nine years in prison

MESA COUNTY, Colo. — On Thursday, Judge Matthew Barrett sentenced defiant Tina Peters to nine years in prison on multiple charges, including felonies, for conspiring to commit a data breach under false claims of voting machine fraud during the 2020 presidential election.

Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, was found guilty by a jury in August on seven of 10 counts, including first-degree official misconduct, dereliction of duty, conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation and other charges.

She was acquitted of charges of identity theft, criminal impersonation and conspiracy to commit criminal impersonation.

“You are not a hero. “You have abused your position – and you are a charlatan who has used and continues to use your former position to sell a snake oil that has proven time and time again to be crap,” Judge Barrett said. “Their lies are well documented and these convictions are serious. I am confident you would do it again if you could.” Judge Barrett added, “You are as defiant as a defendant this court has ever seen.”

Peters, who was indicted in March 2022, was accused of copying hard drive images of election software in 2021 that eventually went online and were discussed by Peters and others.

Before the verdict was announced, Peters did not apologize. “I have never done anything with malice to break the law. I just wanted to serve the people of Mesa County,” she said.

Watch Judge Barrett’s full sentencing remarks in the video player below.

“You are a charlatan”: Judge sentences defiant Tina Peters to 9 years | Full video

Óscar Contreras of Denver7 and the Associated Press contributed to this report.