Former Stanton Councilwoman Alyce Van has plead guilty to election fraud stemming from her efforts to conceal she no longer lived in the council district from which she was seeking re-election in 2024.
Earlier this year, Van was charged with four felonies related to her fraudulent electioneering: one felony count of perjury, one felony count of offering a false or forged document to be filed, registered, or recorded, one felony count of filing false nomination papers, and one felony account of not being entitled to vote at an election
The plea deal to which she agreed knocked those felonies down to a single misdemeanor of filing fraudulent nominations papers. The court sentenced her to one year of probation and 160 hours community service to be completed by December 28, 2026
The OC District Attorney’s investigation that led to Van’s arrest and trial followed an exhaustive investigation by the OC Independent and published in September of 2024.
READ: Stanton: Does Councilwoman Alyce Van Live In Her Council District?
No other media outlet reported on Van’s illegal activities prior to the election, in which she was resoundingly defeated by community member Victor Barrios.
READ: Stanton: Councilwoman Alyce Van Suffers Landslide Re-Election Defeat
Van, an attorney and Democratic Party activist, was narrowly elected to the Stanton City Council in 2020 from District 2. Less than a year later, she moved into a much larger home with horses and stables that she and her husband had purchased in District 4 – which was represented by long-time Councilwoman Carol Warren – but pretended she still lived in District 2.
In 2024, Warren was termed out and Van was up for re-election. Warren’s son John announced he would run for council from District 4. Rather than run against the popular Warren name, Van ran for re-election from District 2, despite no longer living there.
In the end, Victor Barrios defeated Van in a 23-point landslide. A few months later, the District Attorney’s office charged van with the four felonies.
