Two men accused of trying to suppress voter turnout in Detroit through deceptive robocalls have pleaded no contest to multiple felony charges, the Michigan Attorney General’s office confirmed, according to CBS News.

John Burkman, 59, of Arlington, Virginia, and Jacob Wohl, 27, of Fairfax, Virginia, each pleaded no contest to four charges: one count of election law – bribing/intimidating voters, one count of conspiracy to commit an election law violation, one count of using a computer to commit the crime of election law – intimidating voters, and using a computer to commit the crime of conspiracy.

The calls, made in late August 2020, were directed at nearly 12,000 phone numbers registered to Detroit ZIP codes. Investigators said the majority of those targeted were Black recipients in Michigan. The two men attempted to discourage voters from participating in the election by promoting false claims about voting by mail.

“After five years, I'm glad this case has finally reached a resolution,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Deceptive and racially targeted suppression schemes will not be tolerated in Michigan. My office will continue to pursue and prosecute voter intimidation, no matter how long it takes, to ensure that Michiganders can exercise their right to vote free from fear and deception.”

The robocall campaign was also reported in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois. Sentencing will take place on December 1 before Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Margaret VanHouten.

After charges were filed, the case moved through the circuit court, the Court of Appeals, and the Michigan Supreme Court before returning to Wayne County for resolution. 

The 2020 presidential election marked one of the few times Michigan absentee voters were able to post their votes this way, for any reason, a change in law that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and increased use of vote-by-mail systems.