ELKINS — A local mail carrier admitted in federal court Thursday that he tampered with absentee ballot requests for the state primary election and switched several voters’ indicated party from “Democrat” to “Republican.”

Thomas Cooper, a mail carrier in Pendleton County, admitted Thursday to attempted election fraud, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Cooper, age 47, of Dry Fork, pleaded guilty to one count of attempt to defraud the residents of West Virginia of a fair election and one count of injury to the mail.

Cooper held a U.S. Postal Service contract to deliver mail in Pendleton County. In April 2020, the clerk of Pendleton County, Elise White, received 2020 Primary Election COVID-19 Mail-In Absentee Request forms from eight voters on which the voter’s party-ballot request appeared to have been altered.

The clerk reported the finding to the West Virginia Secretary of State’s office, which began an investigation. The investigation found five ballot requests that had been altered from “Democrat” to “Republican.” On three other requests, the party wasn’t changed, but the request had been altered.

Cooper was responsible for the mail delivery of the three towns from which the tampered requests were mailed: Onego, Riverton, and Franklin. Cooper admitted Thursday to altering some of the requests.

Cooper will be sentenced at a later date.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office, the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.

An investigator for the state Attorney General’s office gathered evidence for the case on behalf of the Secretary of State’s office.

“News of the guilty plea underscores the strength of our case,” Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said Thursday. “Our team remains committed to protecting the integrity of elections in West Virginia. Our citizens deserve nothing less.”

“In West Virginia every vote counts and those that attempt to disrupt our democratic processes will be held accountable for their actions,” said Secretary of State Mac Warner.

“I am greatly pleased with outcome of the Election Fraud Task Force’s effort to investigate and proceed with prosecution expeditiously to obtain a guilty plea of absentee balloting fraud.”