Illegal voting charges: US Department of Justice names 16, including three Pakistani nationals

US federal prosecutors said 16 people faced charges tied to illegal voting and false voter registration. The Department of Justice named three Pakistani nationals among the accused. Officials said the cases covered several election-related offences. These included non-citizens voting in federal polls and people registering using false citizenship claims.

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The Department of Justice said the matters also involved voting for dead people and casting more than one ballot. Prosecutors also listed false statements on citizenship applications and unlawful citizenship procurement. The department released the details on Monday. It also said some cases involved repeated voting across several elections.

Department of Justice illegal voting charges include Pakistani nationals

The Pakistani nationals were identified as Jamil Ahmad, 50, Nighat Jamil, 47 both Pennsylvania and Arshed Zuberi, 69, from Ohio. The department said Ahmad and Nighat were lawful permanent residents. Prosecutors said both were charged by information. The charge alleged voting as an alien during the 2024 election.

Arshed Zuberi was also described as a lawful permanent resident, officials said. Prosecutors charged Zuberi by criminal complaint. The allegation was illegal voting in a federal election as an alien. The Department of Justice said Zuberi registered to vote in September 2015 and August 2016.

Department of Justice illegal voting charges cite registration and voting records

The department said voting records supported the complaint involving Zuberi. It cited records from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Those records showed Zuberi voted in at least six elections, according to officials. The statement did not list the years of each election. It described the activity as part of a wider set of cases.

The Justice Department said other defendants included nationals from several countries. Those nations included Cuba, Canada, Britain, Portugal, Poland and the Philippines. The department grouped these cases under election-related crimes. It said the allegations covered illegal voting and fraudulent registration. Some also involved misstatements linked to citizenship claims.

Department of Justice illegal voting charges include cases in Idaho, Kentucky and New Jersey

In Idaho, Canadian national Stanley Walton, 82, was charged with unlawfully voting in the 2022 general election. In Kentucky, officials said Sandra Madeline Watson, 59, also Canadian and a lawful permanent resident, faced a charge. The charge alleged illegally voting in a federal election.

In New Jersey, Lizabeth Almonte Rosa, 24, a naturalised American citizen originally from the Dominican Republic, was charged. Prosecutors alleged voting while not a citizen and unlawfully procuring citizenship. The department also named Forrest Scott Woody, 68, of Hendersonville, North Carolina. Officials said Woody was charged with illegally voting more than once.

The Department of Justice said the 16 cases involved a range of alleged conduct. Officials said the accusations stretched from voter registration fraud to multiple voting. The department also cited claims of false US citizenship and unlawful citizenship procurement. It said three Pakistani nationals were among those charged, alongside several other foreign nationals and US citizens.

With inputs from PTI