(José Niño, Headline USA) On Monday, the Justice Department announced charges involving 16 people in election related cases across the country, including alleged illegal voting by noncitizens, fraudulent voter registration, multiple voting, and an alleged attempt to cast a deceased person’s ballot.
The cases span at least 10 federal districts and involve alleged misconduct in the 2022 and 2024 elections. The department said the allegations include voting by non-citizens in federal elections, false citizenship claims on voter registration forms, voting on behalf of a deceased person, casting ballots in more than one state, and alleged citizenship fraud connected to voting registration.
In New Mexico, a federal grand jury indicted Patrick Perea, 62, on one count of fraudulent voting. Prosecutors allege that Perea attempted to submit his late wife’s absentee ballot during the November 2024 general election through the Bernalillo County Clerk’s Office in Albuquerque.
Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania charged four non-citizens with voting as aliens during the 2024 election. The group includes Hacina Saadi, a French national described as illegally present in the United States, plus Pakistani nationals Jamil Ahmad and Nighat Jamil and Portuguese national Paulo Silva, all described as lawful permanent residents.
The DOJ also announced cases in Alabama. Peruvian national Silvia Delgado Phelps and Jamaican national Staciann Pollion Davis, both lawful permanent residents, face complaints alleging unlawful voting as noncitizens. Separately, Forrest Scott Woody of North Carolina is charged with allegedly voting in Alabama after already voting in North Carolina during the 2024 general election.
In Missouri, Cuban national Andres Garcia faces two counts involving alleged unlawful votes in federal elections in 2022 and 2024. Prosecutors allege that Garcia falsely claimed American citizenship during voter registrations in 2004 and 2013 and voted in at least 15 elections over two decades, including at least 13 federal contests.
Other cases include allegations involving Canadian national Stanley Walton in Idaho, Dominican-born Lizabeth Almonte Rosa in New Jersey, British national Cary Ann Patterson in Ohio, Pakistani national Arshed Zuberi in Ohio, Filipino national Eliza Moss in Ohio, Polish national Dawid Nalepa in Hawaii, and Canadian national Sandra Madeline Watson in Kentucky. The allegations involve unlawful voting, improper citizenship claims, or both.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
