A Hudson County woman is accused of paying Hoboken residents to cast mail-in ballots for particular candidates in what federal authorities describe as a voter bribery scheme.

Lizaida Camis, 55, of Hoboken is charged with violating the Travel Act for causing mail to be used to aid voter bribery. Craig Carpenito, the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, said Camis paid voters $50 in 2013 to apply for vote by mail ballots and then cast them for candidates whose campaigns employed her.

Camis provided these voters with vote by mail applications, delivered the completed applications to the Hudson County Clerk's office, and then went to the voters' homes once the ballots were mailed to them. In some cases, she told them how to vote, Carpenito said.

From October through November 2013, Camis promised the voters that they would be paid $50 for casting their mail-in ballots and told them that they could pick up their checks after the Nov. 5 election at an office on Jefferson Street, officials said. Bank records indicate that voters living in Hoboken received $50 checks from entities associated with the campaigns that employed Camis, Carpenito said.

A criminal complaint charging Camis with the offense cites three different Hoboken voters who told authorities they were paid for their votes at the direction of Camis.

In the city's municipal election that November, Mayor Dawn Zimmer won re-election by defeating Assemblyman Ruben Ramos and Councilman Tim Occhipinti. Voters also decided to keep the city's rent control in place -- a result that a local group later challenged unsuccessfully in New Jersey Superior Court.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office could not provide which candidates or campaigns employed Camis.

Camis was arrested Thursday and made her first appearance on the charge in Newark federal court. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Carpenito said the investigation was conducted by special agents from the FBI and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla issued a statement praising the law enforcement agencies involved and condemning abuse of the system.

"Voting by mail is a tool that is intended to aid voters but instead has been rampantly abused by corrupt political campaigns,'' he said. "Today's official statement by the United States Attorney's office proves what we've known for years -- candidates and campaigns will do anything, including bribing voters, to illegally influence elections here in Hoboken.

"Quite simply, buying votes is an unlawful act that undermines our democracy, and must end once and for all.''