DOJ charges four foreign nationals with election crimes in Pennsylvania
The Department of Justice reported that two of the defendants are in the country illegally and that the other two are legal permanent residents. All four face charges related to fraudulent registration or voting as non-citizens.
Exterior view of the U.S. Department of Justice
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this Thursday charges against four non-citizens for election-related crimes in Pennsylvania, including two undocumented immigrants.
The cases were announced by U.S. Attorney David Metcalf and stemmed from investigations conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
"Voting by noncitizens is illegal and has real consequences for the American public," said Nathan Abel, special agent in charge of HSI Philadelphia. He added that the agency will continue to work with other authorities to investigate potential election crimes and protect the integrity of U.S. elections.
Two undocumented immigrants
One of the defendants is Cliff Sanon, a 39-year-old Haitian citizen who resided in Philadelphia and who, according to the Department of Justice, was in the country illegally.
Sanon was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of filing a fraudulent voter registration application. According to the indictment, he allegedly filed an application in February 2026 in Philadelphia County, prior to the May primaries, despite not being a U.S. citizen.
The complaint further alleges that this application was one of eight fraudulent voter registration applications that Sanon allegedly submitted. He is also accused of voting in the November 2022 election.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 and a special charge of $100.
The second defendant charged with an offense is Dilea Ochoa-Perez, 43, a Mexican citizen who resided in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.
Ochoa-Perez was charged with two counts of voting as a non-citizen. According to the document filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, she allegedly voted in Chester County in the general elections of November 2022 and November 2024, despite not being a U.S. citizen at those times.
If convicted, she faces a maximum of two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $200,000 and a special charge of $50.
Two legal permanent residents
The other two defendants are lawful permanent residents of the United States.
Sade Guppy, 37, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and a lawful permanent resident, was charged with one count of voting as a non-citizen. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, she allegedly voted in Philadelphia County during the November 2022 general election, despite not being a U.S. citizen.
If convicted, Guppy faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $100,000 and a special charge of $25.
The fourth defendant is Eduardo Gallardo Maldonado, 66, a Mexican citizen and legal permanent resident.
According to information presented by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Maldonado allegedly voted illegally in Philadelphia County during the November 2024 general election, despite not being a U.S. citizen.
The charge carries, upon conviction, a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of up to $100,000 and a special charge of $25.
The Department of Justice warns against voting by non-citizens
"Our sovereignty as a nation belongs to the American people and no one else," said Metcalf, who added that those who vote illegally in U.S. elections will be prosecuted.
For its part, HSI Philadelphia maintained that every vote cast illegally can undermine confidence in the electoral process and the participation of U.S. citizens.
The Department of Justice clarified that the charges and allegations included in the complaints are merely allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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