The Justice Department recently announced criminal charges against sixteen noncitizens across the United States, all lawful permanent residents, for their alleged involvement in illegal voting, fraudulent voter registration, and related election offenses. These cases come from federal districts in Florida, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and they paint a complicated human picture behind dry legal language. Each of these individuals had already built a life in America, with the right to live and work here lawfully, yet they are now accused of crossing a bright line that carries serious consequences: the requirement that only United States citizens may participate in federal elections. The charges include casting ballots in federal elections despite not being citizens, falsely claiming citizenship on voter registration forms, and making misleading statements on naturalization applications. The government also alleges that some of these defendants made false statements to immigration officials during the citizenship process. It is important to remember that a charge is not a conviction. As the Justice Department itself emphasized, every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Still, the announcement is a powerful reminder that election integrity is taken seriously and that the privilege of voting comes with legal responsibilities that noncitizens, even permanent residents, must respect.
In the Middle District of Florida, two men face charges related to casting ballots in the 2024 general election. Andrea Catanese, a 60-year-old Italian national and lawful permanent resident, has been charged by federal indictment with voting as an alien, attempting to procure naturalization unlawfully, and making a false statement related to naturalization. According to the charges, Catanese allegedly voted in the 2024 general election despite not being a citizen, then later submitted an Application for Naturalization in which he falsely stated that he had never voted in a federal election, and repeated that same alleged lie to an immigration official who reviewed his application. The dual nature of the accusation matters: beyond just casting a ballot, he is accused of trying to legally become a citizen while concealing an illegal vote. The second Florida case involves Terrance Patrick Evans, a 37-year-old Bahamian national and lawful permanent resident, who has been charged by information with one count of voting by an alien. According to that information, Evans voted in the 2024 federal general election even though he knew he was not a citizen of the United States. For both men, the alleged act is more than just a paperwork violation; it touches on the heart of what it means to belong to a democratic society. Lawful permanent residents can study, work, pay taxes, and raise families in America, but voting is reserved for citizens, and federal law treats attempts to participate as serious offenses that can threaten their immigration status and their future in the country.
In the Eastern District of Louisiana, three lawful permanent residents have been indicted for illegal voting in federal elections. Pedro Pablo Ruiz, a 68-year-old Cuban national, has been indicted for illegal voting in a federal election after allegedly casting a ballot in the 2024 general election. Zianya Yllaly Zamorano, a 34-year-old Mexican national, has also been indicted for illegal voting in an election after allegedly casting a ballot in the same general election. Dudley Francisco Zeledon, a 56-year-old Nicaraguan national, has been charged in a two-count indictment for illegal voting in an election, with allegations that he cast ballots in both the 2024 primary and general elections. These three cases, each involving people of different ages and national origins, show how election crimes can involve a broad cross-section of the immigrant community. A naturalized citizen would have had every right to cast those ballots, but permanent residents, no matter how long they have lived in the country or how deeply connected they are to their communities, are not permitted to vote in federal contests. The fact that someone is older or has spent decades in the United States does not change that legal boundary. For these three individuals, the indictment is the beginning of a legal process that will examine whether they knowingly crossed that boundary, and if the government proves its case, they could face imprisonment, fines, deportation, and the loss of their permanent resident status.
The Eastern District of Wisconsin brings the single case of Sara Luma, a 30-year-old North Macedonian national and lawful permanent resident, who has been charged with unlawfully voting as a non-citizen. According to the criminal complaint, Luma allegedly voted in the 2024 general election after registering to vote on the same day as the election. She allegedly signed the Wisconsin Voter Registration Application form and falsely certified that she was a citizen of the United States. The complaint further states that Luma was interviewed by a federal law enforcement agent and admitted to registering and voting on Nov. 5, 2024. This case is a reminder of how quickly a confusing moment can become a serious legal problem. Election Day registration exists in some states to make voting easier for eligible citizens, but the paperwork is not a formality. When someone signs their name under penalty of law, they are swearing to something important. If the allegations are true, Luma’s decision to sign that form while knowing she was not a citizen was not just a bureaucratic error; it was an alleged federal crime. Her admission, if it is accurately reported, might shape the case, but it remains up to the courts to determine whether she understood her status, what she knew, and what the legal consequences should be.
The largest group of charges came out of the District of Minnesota, where ten lawful permanent residents have been charged with various forms of voter fraud. Bhator Konah Bryant, a 61-year-old Liberian national, has been charged with one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote, based on allegations that she falsely claimed U.S. citizenship when registering to vote on Oct. 18, 2024. Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, a 59-year-old Lithuanian national, has been charged with one count of voting by an alien, accused of voting illegally in Minnesota on Nov. 8, 2022. Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, a 63-year-old Ghanaian national, has been charged with two counts of making false claims of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by an alien, with allegations that he voted illegally in Minnesota and falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on separate dates, including October 2024 and a date listed in August 2026. Alan Barbu Kargbo, a 48-year-old Liberian national, has been charged with one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by an alien, alleged to have voted illegally and falsely claimed citizenship on Nov. 5, 2024. Paul Kras, a 78-year-old German national, has been charged with one count of voting by an alien, allegedly voting illegally in Minnesota on Nov. 5, 2024. Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, a 58-year-old Bosnian national, has been charged with one count of making a false claim of citizenship and one count of voting by an alien, alleged to have falsely claimed citizenship and voted illegally on Nov. 5, 2024. Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, a 62-year-old Brazilian national, faces the same two charges for allegedly doing the same thing on Election Day. Chris Adam Pettiquoi, a 43-year-old Liberian national, has likewise been charged with making a false claim of citizenship and voting by an alien, also alleged on Nov. 5, 2024. Christian Liam Schenk, a 47-year-old Canadian national, and Hester Sophia Weihmann, a 69-year-old South African national, are both charged with false citizenship claims and voting by an alien, with their alleged actions also taking place on Election Day in November 2024. What stands out in these Minnesota cases is the concentration of people from around the world: Liberia, Lithuania, Ghana, Germany, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada, and South Africa. These are not new arrivals acting without any connection to the country; many are older adults, some in their sixties and seventies, who have lived in the United States lawfully for years. Yet, according to the charges, they either voted without citizenship or misrepresented their status on official forms, and now they must answer for those choices in federal court.
Taken together, these sixteen cases reveal a wider effort by the Justice Department to protect the integrity of American elections, particularly in a time when questions about voting and citizenship have become deeply politicized. Federal officials have made it clear that they are watching for noncitizen voting and false registration, and these charges send a message that the responsibility of voting is not something to be taken lightly. But the human dimension is equally important. Behind each charge is a person who came to the United States as an immigrant, built a life, obtained lawful permanent residency, and, in many of these cases, participated in an election that they may not have realized was forbidden to them. Some of them may have misunderstood confusing voter registration materials, while others may have knowingly broken the law. That distinction is exactly what the courts will determine. The charges against them are accusations, not verdicts, and the Justice Department’s own language makes that clear. These individuals are presumed innocent, and they will have the opportunity to defend themselves, challenge the evidence, and tell their stories. For lawful permanent residents across the country, the lesson is simple but powerful: living in America, working here, paying taxes, and building a community here are all deeply meaningful parts of civic life, but voting is a right reserved for citizens. The path to voting is not through a registration form; it is through naturalization. Until then, permanent residents must remain on the sidelines of the voting booth, no matter how much they love the country they now call home. These cases, with all their legal complexity and personal sadness, are a reminder that election integrity and immigration law are intertwined, and that every signature on a voter form carries the weight of citizenship itself.