Bond has been set for two men who allegedly tampered with absentee ballots in Chicago’s municipal and run-off elections last year. One of the men was a ward superintendent appointed by 50th Ward Alderman Bernie Stone.

The 37-year-old Anish Eapen has been a ward superintendent since 2004. Cook County prosecutors say Eapen and a partner, Armando Ramos, visited the homes of numerous registered voters in the far North Side ward. They allege the two men persuaded voters to vote absentee, then returned to the people’s homes to watch them vote, tell them who to vote for and take ballots from them. Eapen allegedly filled out one ballot for a voter himself. Roger Malavia is Eapen’s defense attorney. He says his client is innocent, and questions the circumstances under which the witnesses in the case testified.

MALAVIA: It’s quite possible that they were complicit in these crimes as well and the may have every motivation to testify against Mr. Eapen.

In last April’s run-off election, Alderman Stone beat his opponent Naisy Dolar by less than 800 votes.