Federal prosecutors have announced election-related charges against 16 foreign nationals in North Carolina, New York and Idaho, including allegations of voting without U.S. citizenship and falsely claiming citizenship during voter registration.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Federal prosecutors have filed charges against 16 noncitizens accused of illegally participating in American elections, including several lawful permanent residents who allegedly voted in multiple federal election cycles, according to a Justice Department announcement Friday, Oct. 16.
The cases span North Carolina, New York and Idaho, with the largest group of defendants facing prosecution in North Carolina. The allegations involve individuals from several countries, including El Salvador, Germany, Jamaica, Canada, Bosnia and the United Kingdom.
The Justice Department announced that the investigations uncovered suspected violations of federal laws prohibiting noncitizens from voting in elections involving candidates for president, vice president or Congress.
Although lawful permanent residents may live and work in the United States, they generally remain ineligible to vote in federal elections until becoming naturalized citizens.
Of the 16 defendants, 15 were identified as lawful permanent residents. The remaining defendant, a Salvadoran national living in North Carolina, was identified by prosecutors as an illegal immigrant.
The cases arrive as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to identify unlawful voting and investigate potential weaknesses in voter registration procedures ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of North Carolina announced indictments against 10 foreign nationals accused of participating in elections without possessing American citizenship.
Among those charged is Eduardd Omar Majano Sosa, 22, a Salvadoran national who allegedly registered to vote in 2024 and cast a ballot in that year’s general election.
Majano Sosa faces one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote and one count of voting as a noncitizen.
Another defendant, Gjina Gojcaj McDonald, 60, a lawful permanent resident originally from the former Yugoslavia, allegedly registered to vote in 2008 and participated in several general elections through 2024.
German national James Edward Herrmann, 47, is accused of registering in 2018 and voting in the 2020 and 2024 general elections despite lacking U.S. citizenship.
The North Carolina cases also involve German nationals Karl Fout, 73, and Ramona Abreu-Exia, 71; Jamaican nationals Lawton Caswell McKenzie, 46, and Mervin Sylvester Bogle, 60; Haitian national Lionel Paul, 62; Panamanian national Ludgardys Olena Matthews, 62; and Canadian national Robert Harold Corbett, 69.
All were identified as lawful permanent residents. Prosecutors allege that the defendants falsely claimed citizenship during voter registration, participated unlawfully in federal elections or committed both offenses.
Some of the allegations extend back several election cycles.
According to the Eastern District of North Carolina’s announcement, Abreu-Exia allegedly registered in 2004 and voted in eight general elections between 2004 and 2024, as well as a 2008 primary.
Corbett is accused of registering in 1998 and voting in several general elections over subsequent decades.
The charges demonstrate that federal investigators are examining historical voter registration and participation records rather than limiting their investigations to the most recent election.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle said the prosecutions were intended to enforce citizenship requirements and deter unlawful participation in future elections.
“There is no more important right a citizen possesses above the right to vote,” Boyle said. “All other rights flow from this Constitutional principle when we the people select our government.”
The remaining prosecutions involve five defendants in New York and one in Idaho.
In New York, federal authorities announced charges against Vikki Bradt, 51, of Ballston Spa; Samantha Merkle, 55, of Glens Falls; Suad Sasic, 30, of Clifton Park; Jacques Patry, 64, of Tupper Lake; and Paula Stitt, 57, of Albany.
Bradt and Merkle are British nationals, Sasic is a Bosnian national, and Patry and Stitt are Canadian nationals. All five are lawful permanent residents.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the defendants appeared on charges Oct. 13 and 14.
The criminal complaints allege that each defendant knew they were not an American citizen but nevertheless voted in an election involving federal candidates.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said the prosecutions were intended to reinforce federal voting requirements.
“When non-citizens vote, the public loses confidence in the integrity of the election process and its outcome,” Sarcone said.
If convicted, each New York defendant faces a potential maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
In Idaho, federal prosecutors charged Canadian citizen Taralynn Kathleen Bosco, 48, a lawful permanent resident living in Rexburg, with voting in the 2022 general election despite lacking U.S. citizenship.
The Idaho U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed that Bosco was charged Oct. 7 following an investigation involving Idaho State Police and Homeland Security Investigations.
Bosco is scheduled to appear in federal court Oct. 26. She faces a possible one-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $100,000 if convicted.
Federal prosecutors have announced several similar cases in recent months, including charges filed in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and New Jersey in September and guilty pleas entered by three noncitizens in June.
The Justice Department also announced separate election-related prosecutions earlier in October, including allegations involving fraudulent voter registration, false citizenship claims and voting on behalf of deceased individuals.
The latest cases have emerged alongside a broader federal examination of voter registration records.
On Aug. 18, the U.S. Census Bureau published a preliminary report examining citizenship information associated with voters who participated in the November 2020 presidential election.
The Census Bureau’s analysis reviewed administrative and commercial voter data and reported that more than 128 million records could be classified with high confidence as belonging to citizens.
The agency also identified more than 24,000 records associated with individuals classified as noncitizens at the time of the election. More than 32 million additional voter records remained unanalyzed.
The report has generated debate about voter eligibility and the accuracy of federal citizenship databases.
Because the analysis relied partly on matching records from different government and commercial sources, its findings do not independently establish that every flagged individual unlawfully voted. Data discrepancies, outdated citizenship information and mistaken identity matches can affect such comparisons.
The Associated Press reported that election experts questioned the preliminary analysis, noting that the methodology requires further examination before the findings can be treated as verified instances of illegal voting.
The distinction matters because naturalized Americans are legally entitled to vote in federal elections, even if older immigration records identify them as foreign nationals.
Federal law generally prohibits voting by noncitizens in elections involving federal offices, and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship during voter registration can constitute a separate criminal offense.
However, a criminal charge represents an allegation rather than a conviction. Prosecutors must establish the required elements of each offense beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Justice Department has not suggested that the 16 defendants acted together or participated in a coordinated election fraud scheme.
The cases involve separate individuals, jurisdictions and election histories, with alleged violations spanning different years.
Nor do the charges establish that unlawful ballots changed the outcome of any federal election.
The department’s investigation nevertheless demonstrates increased enforcement attention toward voter registration accuracy and noncitizen participation.
As the November midterms approach, federal officials are continuing to examine election records and pursue cases they believe involve violations of citizenship requirements.
All 16 defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, and the announced charges will proceed through the federal judicial system.
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