What is 'The Villages'? Four community residents charged with voting twice in 2020 presidential election
THE VILLAGES, FLORIDA: Charles Barnes, 64, Jay Ketcik, 63, Joan Halstead, 71, and John Rider, 61, are the residents of the massive retirement community The Villages in Central Florida, who have pleaded guilty to committing voter fraud by voting twice in the 2020 presidential elections. Barnes and Ketcik, with their plea agreements, avoided a third-degree felony sentence of up to five years in prison.
All four of them had a pre-trial for the following case: Rider recently enrolled in an intervention program, which will enable him to avoid potential jail time if he successfully completes it, as by Clickorlando. Halstead, Barnes, and Ketcik had to finish a 12-week adult civics course based on the book 'We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution', as part of their agreements with the state, However, let's learn about The Villages community where these fraduster lived.
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What is 'The Villages'?
About an hour north of Orlando in Central Florida is a 55+ neighborhood known as The Villages. It consistently tops lists for top sales and fastest growth among master-planned communities in the country, as per reports. The initial construction took roughly 5 square miles and was entirely in Sumter County. Rapid expansion into the neighboring counties started, as per FloridaBoomers.
World's largest retirement community
Over 132,000 people are thought to live there, making it bigger than 33 of Florida's 67 counties. The Villages was declared the fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States by the United States Census Bureau for the decade 2010-2019, as reported by Inside the bubble.
The Villages' population grows by about 4,500 people each year. In The Villages, men typically age 62, and women typically age 60. The typical household income in the United States is $61,333. However, The Villages Commercial Property Management ascertained that the average household income in The Villages is $93,800.
The Villages is home to many veterans
Of all the communities in the country, The Villages has one of the highest concentrations of veterans. Numerous clubs and service organizations cater to the needs of those who have served the country, as reported by The Villages website. The Villages is home to more than 20,000 veterans, according to most estimates. Only Mountain Home, Idaho, which is close to an Air Force base, has a higher percentage of ex-military residents than The Villages, which comes in second place, overall. There are more than 20 veteran-related groups and organizations in or near The Villages, including Villagers for Veterans and the Villages Honor Flight, every year, as per reports.
