(José Niño, Headline USA) A Mauritanian national living illegally in the United States voted in every presidential election from 2008 through 2024 despite being under an active deportation order since 2000, according to an FBI affidavit filed in federal court.
Mahady Sacko entered the United States in March 1998 through Miami. Immigration authorities placed him in removal proceedings the following year, and an immigration judge in Philadelphia ordered him deported back to Mauritania on June 14, 2000. Sacko was present in court for that decision. He appealed, but the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed his case and upheld the deportation order in November 2002. Sacko never left the country.
In January 2007, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Sacko in Philadelphia. But he did not have a valid Mauritanian passport, and ICE could not obtain one for him. Unable to carry out the deportation, authorities placed Sacko on immigration supervision and required him to check in with ICE regularly. According to the affidavit, which was first published by CourtWatch, Sacko reported to immigration officials on at least 19 occasions between 2011 and last September.
An immigrant non-citizen was arrested a few weeks ago for illegally voting in the 2024 election.
The FBI's investigation found that he first registered to vote in Pa. in 2006, and proceeded to vote in elections for the next 18 years.Story below pic.twitter.com/cYxxI9n4TM
— Ken Silva (@JD_Cashless) March 16, 2026
While living under immigration supervision, Sacko registered to vote in Pennsylvania on January 24, 2005, falsely declaring himself a U.S. citizen. Voting records obtained by investigators from the Philadelphia City Commissioners and the Pennsylvania Department of State revealed that Sacko then voted in the 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections. He also voted in the 2016 and 2020 primaries. Each time, Sacko falsely claimed to be an American citizen.
FBI Special Agent Mickel McGann stated in the affidavit, “Under both federal and state law, only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote in Pennsylvania. In this case, MAHADY SACKO was not a U.S. citizen, lied about being a U.S. citizen in order to register to vote, and therefore cast a fraudulent ballot under both federal and state law during the November 5, 2024, election for federal office.”
Investigators obtained multiple voter registration forms signed by Sacko, including paper applications and registrations through PennDOT and voter registration drives. In each instance, Sacko falsely certified his citizenship. Agents compared the signatures on these forms to other official documents, including vehicle registrations from 2013 and 2021 and driver’s license applications from 2021 and 2025. They found the signatures matched.
The investigation began last April, when federal agents received a tip that Sacko had illegally voted in a federal election. The registration information on file for Sacko matched his actual biographical details, including his date of birth, the last four digits of his social security number, his driver’s license number, his phone number, and his home address.
Special Agent McGann concluded, “Based on the above facts, there is probable cause to believe MAHADY SACKO is not a United States citizen, falsely represented himself to be a United States citizen, and fraudulently voted on November 5, 2024, in an election for federal office.”
United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth T. Hey authorized the criminal complaint and arrest warrant on February 27, 2026. Sacko faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
The FBI affidavit can be found here.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
