Harrisonburg officials and the FBI have been investigating allegations of voter registration fraud after officials say almost 20 voter applications were turned in under the names of dead people.

Harrisonburg Registrar Debbie Logan said on Thursday that investigators have found from 18 to 20 potentially fraudulent registrations. The Rockingham County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office confirmed on Thursday that an investigation is underway, but offered no additional details on the case.

The applications were turned in by a voter registration group called Harrisonburg VOTES. The group’s representatives could not be reached for comment Thursday. No charges have been filed.

The Breeze, the student newspaper of James Madison University, reported that the applications were submitted by a student working for the group. The problem came to light when an employee in the registrar’s office noticed a new registration had come in from Richard Claybrook Sr., the late father of a well-known local judge.

Logan said, “When they used a distinguished resident of Harrisonburg’s name and address, it came to the attention of an employee who has worked in the city for many years”

Richard Claybrook Jr. said of his father, who died in 2014 said, “We were pretty disgusted that they would use his name. He was a retired educator and had served in World War II. He was always a law-abiding citizen.”

By Prakriti Neogi