DOJ charges 16 people with illegal voting, falsification of voter registration records in several states

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the filing of criminal charges against 16 individuals in various judicial districts across the country, as part of a series of investigations aimed at combating voter fraud, illegal voter registration and voting by non-naturalized foreign nationals in federal elections.

Among those indicted are an undocumented immigrant, multiple legal permanent residents of various nationalities and U.S. citizens accused of undermining the integrity of the electoral process through false claims of citizenship and the casting of duplicate ballots.

Foreigners at the polls and false claims of citizenship

The charges filed by federal prosecutors reveal multiple cases of foreign nationals who cast ballots without possessing the U.S. citizenship required by law.

In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, authorities charged Hacina Saadi, an undocumented immigrant from France, as well as three legal permanent residents originally from Pakistan and Portugal with illegally voting in the 2024 general election.

Similar patterns of illegal voting by noncitizens were recorded in the Western District of Missouri, where the Cuban André's García was charged with systematically casting votes in at least 15 elections over the past 20 years after falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on his registration forms.

In Hawaii, Dawid Nalepa, a Polish national who entered the country through the Visa Waiver Program and overstayed his legal stay, was charged with voting in the November 2024 general election while knowing he lacked U.S. citizenship.

Additional cases in Alabama, Idaho, Kentucky, New Jersey and Ohio involve nationals of Canada, the Philippines, Jamaica, Peru and the United Kingdom, who face charges for fraudulently registering and voting in local and federal elections by signing affidavits under penalty of perjury.

Impersonation of deceased voters and double voting

Federal investigations also uncovered identity theft and double voting schemes by U.S. citizens.

In the District of New Mexico, a federal grand jury indicted Patrick Perea, 62, for attempting to cast an absentee ballot on behalf of his deceased wife at the Bernalillo County Clerk's Office during the 2024 general election.

Meanwhile, in the Northern District of Alabama, Forrest Scott Woody, 68, was charged with voting twice in the same general election. According to the indictment, Woody cast his first ballot in Henderson County, North Carolina, and later voted again in Calhoun County, Alabama.

The Department of Justice noted that the allegations and charges contained in the legal complaints constitute formal allegations by the federal government; therefore, all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.