Kansas City, Mo. ? A lawyer has been sentenced to probation for voting in both Missouri and Kansas in four elections in 2000 and 2002.

James D. Scherzer, 68, was sentenced Wednesday in federal court to two years probation. He also was ordered to perform 40 hours of community service during the first six months of probation, U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah W. Hays said.

Federal authorities charged Scherzer with four counts of violating the civil rights of election workers by causing them to dilute the votes of other people.

The charges came after The Kansas City Star, using computerized voting records, found his signature on precinct poll registers in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., in the primary and presidential elections in 2000, and in the primary and general elections of 2002.

Scherzer, who lived in Kansas City, Kan., said last year that he had no political agenda and no particular reason for voting twice.

He said he was trying to move to Missouri at the time and “got kind of caught up” in voting there.

Two other people The Star found to have voted twice in past elections also have pleaded guilty in federal court.

Leslie McIntosh, a retired railroad worker, was fined $500. Lorraine Goodrich, a Prairie Village businesswoman, was placed on probation for a year.