Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018 | 6:34 p.m.
CARSON CITY — A 56-year-old Las Vegas man who admitted falsifying signatures on petitions to qualify the Nevada Green Party for the 2016 general election ballot has been given a suspended prison sentence and placed on probation.
Clark County Judge Jerry Wiese sentenced Renaldo Johnson to 12 to 34 months but suspended the prison time as long as he stays out of trouble.
Johnson pleaded guilty in April to one count of misconduct in signing, filing or altering a petition.
He originally was indicted in 2016 on 14 counts of the felony charge and one count of perjury for falsely declaring more than a dozen of the signatures he forged were legitimate.
Charges including perjury and unlawful use of personal information were dismissed.
Court records show that Johnson underwent competency hearings before sentencing. He faces prison time if he violates probation.
Johnson's court-appointed lawyer didn't immediately respond to messages.
Attorney General Adam Laxalt and Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske said Wednesday that the sentence should help deter others from trying to undermine Nevada's electoral process.
They noted that another Las Vegas man who was indicted in March, Patrick Duffy, is due for sentencing in October after pleading guilty to a similar charge.
