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DOJ charges 48 non-citizens across five states with illegal voting and fraudulent registration. California accounts for 28 defendants; Pennsylvania 9; Florida 6; New York 4; Nevada 1.
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DOJ charges 48 aliens
The U.S. Department of Justice announced charges involving 48 aliens in Pennsylvania, California, Florida, New York, and Nevada for election-related crimes including illegal voting and fraudulent voter registration.
The Justice Department said the cases include voting by aliens in federal elections and false claims of U.S. citizenship to register to vote or to vote, and it listed defendants such as Alfredo Santiesteban, 73, and Artur Kopacz, 50.
The Justice Department also described Central District of California charges as felony counts that include false statements in a naturalization application, including allegations against Omar Alexander Muñoz, 72, and Amandeep Kaur, 30.
The Justice Department said the cases span multiple election cycles, with allegations that include voting in the 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2025 elections for some defendants, and it said the offenses include fraudulent voter registration and related election crimes.
The Justice Department framed the announcement as enforcement against noncitizens, and the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Newsweek, “Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen.”
Reporting for this sectionDepartment of JusticeNewsweek
Names, districts, and disputes
The Justice Department said the Eastern District of Pennsylvania included charges for voting by an alien, and it described Polish national Artur Kopacz, 50, as charged with two counts of voting by an alien. The Justice Department said the Middle District of Pennsylvania included defendants such as Kenyan national Nina Nyawara, 21, and it alleged Nyawara “voted in an election held for the purpose of electing a candidate for President” in 2024. The Justice Department said the Central District of California included allegations that Omar Alexander Muñoz, 72, “allegedly registered to vote in September 2019, claiming he was a U.S. citizen” and then voted in U.S. elections in 2020, twice in 2022, and in 2024.
Rehan Alimohammad put the cases in perspective by saying, “50 represents a small fraction of the approximately 13 million lawful permanent residents in the United States.” MS NOW found the number of federal prosecutions based on allegations of noncitizen voting remained low in California, citing the 20,000 figure from a DOJ thumb drive and describing the 28 cases as “just over one-tenth of 1%” of that list, and DOJ and Homeland Security officials announced 28 criminal cases in Los Angeles.
Reporting for this sectionDepartment of JusticeMS NOW
What happens next
Cisco Aguilar said, “Voter fraud is a serious offense, and this office supports investigations of election integrity violations that include credible evidence,” while the DOJ case involved Jullie Ann Sumalinog Moore, a 44-year-old Filipino national and lawful permanent resident.
The charging document filed Oct. 23 in federal court provided no details, and it carried a maximum penalty of one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.
The Justice Department announcement also said the cases included false claims of U.S. citizenship to register to vote or to vote, and it listed defendants across five states including Nevada.
The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the Department would enforce the law whether a case involves one illegal ballot or hundreds, and the spokesperson said, “The Department will enforce the law whether a case involves one illegal ballot or hundreds.”
Eric Balliet said, “Facts and transparency matter,” and Balliet warned that if judges are not finding sufficient probable cause exists in nearly 1 in 5 of the voter fraud cases presented, “then that is a problem.”
Reporting for this sectionReno Gazette JournalNewsweek
