BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Fifteen people, including nine  North Dakota State University football players, have been formally charged with faking signatures on two North Dakota initiative petitions.
     Cass County State’s Attorney Birch Burdick says the 15 are scheduled for their first court appearance Oct. 2, 2012.

They’re charged with a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
     The alleged fraud caused North Dakota Secretary of State Al
Jaeger to disqualify two initiatives from the ballot.

They sought to set up a new conservation fund financed by oil taxes, and make marijuana legal to use to relieve pain.

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Previously

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – Several members of North Dakota State University’s football team face charges of petition fraud.
 
     Secretary of State Al Jaeger says two citizen initiatives won’t make it onto the November ballot because hundreds of signatures on the initiative petitions were bogus.
 
     The measures sought to set up a state fund for conservation projects, and make marijuana use legal for medical treatment.
 
     Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem says many of the petition signatures were copied from phone books or simply made up.
 
     Eleven people face misdemeanor fraud charges for making false statements when circulating the petitions. Stenehjem says most of them are current or former members of NDSU’s football team.
 
     They include defensive backs Marcus Williams and Brendin Pierre and running back Samuel Ojuri (oh-JUHR’-ee).