Iowa City man faces voter misconduct charge

An Iowa City man was arrested Monday following an investigation into possible suspicious voter activity.

According to the criminal complaint, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office was contacted in October by the Johnson County Auditor's Office regarding suspicious voter registration activity by Joseph P. Hentzel, 40.

The complaint said investigators determined Hentzel provided a false residential address on an absentee ballot request form on Sept. 26.

According to the complaint, Hentzel has provided false addresses on multiple occasions since 2005, including on previous voter registration documents, driver's license paperwork and vehicle registration forms.

During an interview, the sheriff's office said Hentzel stated he has lived at his current address, on South Dubuque Street, for six years. The sheriff's office said that information was corroborated by Hentzel's lease paperwork, which was signed in 2011.

Hentzel faces a charge of first-degree election misconduct, a Class D felony.

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