(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) 16 individuals described by federal prosecutors as “aliens” are facing a series of criminal charges and indictments in connection with illegal voting, false voter registration and other related offenses, the DOJ announced Monday.
The cases originate from Florida, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota and involve allegations tied to several U.S. elections, including the 2022 Minnesota state general election, the 2024 primary and general elections, and the 2026 Minnesota state primary election.
The DOJ said that the defendants are lawful permanent residents, also known as green card holders, a fact that made them ineligible to vote in federal elections. Federal law only allows permanent residents to make contributions to political campaigns.
In Florida, a grand jury indicted Andrea Catanese, a 60-year-old Italian national, on claims of voting by an alien, attempting to procure naturalization unlawfully and making a false statement related to naturalization.
Specifically, prosecutors alleged that Catanese falsely affirmed on an application to become an U.S. citizen that he had never voted in a federal election, despite voting in the 2024 general. Catanese repeated the same claim during an interview with an immigration official.
Another Florida defendant, 37-year-old Terrance Patrick Evans, was charged “by information” with one count of voting by an alien. The DOJ said that Evans voted in the 2024 general election despite knowing he was not an U.S. citizen.
In Louisiana, 68-year-old Cuban national Pedro Pablo Ruiz was indicted on a charge of illegally casting a ballot in the 2024 contest despite being a green card holder.
A second individual, 34-year-old Mexican national Zianya Yllaly Zamorano, was also indicted in Louisiana for allegedly casting a ballot in the 2024 general election.
56-year-old Nicaraguan national Dudley Francisco Zeledon was slapped with two counts in connection with illegally voting in the 2024 primary and general elections.
Another individual — Sara Luma, a 30-year-old North Macedonian national — was also charged with similar offenses in Wisconsin.
The charges pertaining to the other 10 defendants were announced last month and all originate from Minnesota.
They are:
- Bhator Konah Bryant, a 61-year-old Liberian national
- Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, a 59-year-old Lithuanian national
- Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, a 63-year-old Ghanaian national
- Alan Barbu Kargbo, a 48-year-old Liberian national
- Paul Kras, a 78-year-old German national
- Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, a 58-year-old Bosnian national
- Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, a 62-year-old Brazilian national
- Chris Adam Pettiquoi, a 43-year-old Liberian national
- Christian Liam Schenk, a 47-year-old Canadian national
- Hester Sophia Weihmann, a 69-year-old South African national.
The DOJ has emphasized that the indictments and charges “merely contain accusations” and that the defendants are “presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
