Ten foreign nationals from eight countries have been federally indicted on allegations of illegally voting or falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in Minnesota elections held in 2022, 2024 and 2026.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Ten foreign nationals living legally in the United States have been separately indicted on federal charges alleging they illegally participated in Minnesota elections despite not being U.S. citizens, with prosecutors accusing several of falsely claiming citizenship to obtain or cast ballots.
A federal grand jury returned the indictments Sept. 24, and the Justice Department announced the cases Wednesday.
The defendants are lawful permanent residents from Liberia, Lithuania, Ghana, Germany, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada and South Africa. Federal prosecutors allege the voting activity occurred across three election cycles: the November 2022 general election, November 2024 general election and August 2026 primary election.
The cases involve two federal offenses — voting by a noncitizen and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship for the purpose of voting.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said federal authorities intend to enforce citizenship requirements governing participation in federal elections.
“The law is clear, only American citizens may vote in American elections, and enforcing this law is fundamental to our democracy,” Blanche said.
The indictments are accusations, not findings of guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
The cases include Ghanaian national Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, 63, whom prosecutors charged with two counts of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting as an alien.
Authorities allege Edzie falsely represented himself as a U.S. citizen on Oct. 23, 2024, and again on Aug. 11, 2026. Prosecutors also allege that he illegally voted in Minnesota during the Aug. 11, 2026, primary election.
Edzie made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on Sept. 28.
Canadian national Christian Liam Schenk, 47, faces one count of making a false citizenship claim for voting purposes and one count of voting as an alien.
Federal prosecutors allege Schenk falsely claimed U.S. citizenship and illegally voted in Minnesota during the Nov. 5, 2024, general election. His initial appearance was scheduled to occur Wednesday in the District of Massachusetts.
Liberian national Alan Barbu Kargbo, 48, was similarly charged with one count of falsely claiming citizenship and one count of voting as an alien.
Prosecutors allege both offenses occurred Nov. 5, 2024. Kargbo appeared before Bullard on Sept. 28.
Bosnian national Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, 58, also faces one count under each statute. Authorities allege he falsely claimed citizenship and cast an illegal ballot in Minnesota on Nov. 5, 2024.
Ozegovic made his initial federal court appearance Sept. 29.
Brazilian national Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, 62, was charged with one count of making a false citizenship claim and one count of voting as an alien. Prosecutors allege both offenses occurred during the 2024 general election.
Padovan appeared before Bullard on Sept. 29.
Liberian national Chis Adam Pettiquoi, 43, faces the same two charges stemming from alleged conduct during the Nov. 5, 2024, election.
Prosecutors say Pettiquoi falsely represented himself as a U.S. citizen and cast a ballot despite being ineligible to vote under federal law. Pettiquoi made an initial court appearance Sept. 29.
South African national Hester Sophia Weihmann, 69, was also charged with one count of making a false claim of citizenship and one count of voting as an alien, with both alleged offenses occurring during the November 2024 election.
Weihmann appeared before the federal magistrate judge Sept. 29.
Not every defendant is accused of both offenses.
Liberian national Bhator Konah Bryant, 61, faces a single count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote.
Federal prosecutors allege Bryant misrepresented her citizenship status while registering to vote on Oct. 18, 2024. The Justice Department did not charge her with illegally casting a ballot in the indictment announced Wednesday.
Bryant appeared before Bullard on Sept. 29.
Lithuanian national Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, 59, faces a single count of voting as an alien.
Authorities allege Edmunds illegally cast a Minnesota ballot on Nov. 8, 2022. She made her initial court appearance Sept. 29.
German national Paul Kras, 78, also faces one count of voting as an alien. Prosecutors allege he illegally participated in Minnesota’s Nov. 5, 2024, general election.
Kras appeared before Bullard on Sept. 29.
Federal law establishes substantially different penalties for the two offenses.
Making a false claim of U.S. citizenship in order to vote is prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f). A conviction can carry up to five years in federal prison, as much as three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Voting as an alien is prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 611.
That offense is classified as a Class A misdemeanor and carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a maximum $100,000 fine.
The federal prohibition generally applies to noncitizen participation in elections involving candidates for federal office, subject to limited statutory exceptions that do not permit ordinary noncitizen voting in Minnesota federal elections.
All 10 defendants were lawful permanent residents when the alleged offenses occurred, according to prosecutors. Lawful permanent residence — commonly associated with possession of a green card — allows foreign nationals to live and work permanently in the United States but does not confer U.S. citizenship or federal voting rights.
The Justice Department did not allege that the defendants were part of a coordinated operation. The 10 cases were separately indicted, and the government’s announcement describes individual alleged voting or registration violations rather than a collective conspiracy.
Several cases center on citizenship representations allegedly made during the 2024 election period.
Bryant is accused of falsely claiming citizenship while registering Oct. 18, 2024, while Edzie allegedly made such a claim Oct. 23.
Kargbo, Ozegovic, Padovan, Pettiquoi, Schenk and Weihmann are accused of citizenship-related or voting offenses tied to Nov. 5, 2024.
Edmunds’ case reaches back further, to the November 2022 election, while Edzie is the only defendant identified by the Justice Department as having allegedly voted during the August 2026 primary.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the prosecutions are intended to send a warning to other noncitizens who participate in elections unlawfully.
“We will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation,” Mullin said.
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen also addressed the allegations when the cases were announced.
“Voting in American elections is a privilege of American citizenship,” Rosen said. “Stealing that privilege is a crime. When, in order to obtain a ballot, a non-citizen swears he or she is a citizen, we will prosecute.”
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for a wide range of federal immigration, customs and transnational criminal investigations.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph S. Teirab is prosecuting the cases.
The indictments do not establish how the alleged ballots affected the outcome of any race, and the Justice Department did not claim the 10 defendants changed the result of the 2022, 2024 or 2026 elections.
Instead, the prosecutions focus on individual allegations that noncitizens either falsely represented themselves as citizens for voting purposes, participated in a federal election despite their immigration status, or both.
The cases now proceed separately through federal court, where prosecutors will be required to prove each charge beyond a reasonable doubt before any defendant can be convicted.
Original article
Comments