Federal prosecutors in North Carolina announced voter fraud charges Wednesday against 19 non-citizens accused of illegally casting a ballot in 2016.
Each defendant voted in a federal election in 2016, and one defendant also voted in 2018, according to a news release from United States Attorney Matthew G.T. Martin’s office.
In some instances, the defendants were also charged with related offenses such as making a false statement.
The news release did not list the defendants’ nationalities or say how their alleged crimes had been uncovered, although it said the matters had been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, an investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
Brief charging documents provided few details about any of the allegations. Many defendants did not have an attorney listed in court records.
The Associated Press attempted to call all attorneys who were listed, reaching only one, who declined comment on his client’s behalf.
A conviction of voting by a non-citizen carries a maximum term of one year imprisonment, a fine not to exceed $100,000, or both.
