The United States Department of Justice has announced charges against 16 individuals across seven states for alleged illegal voting, unlawful voter registration, and related election fraud schemes.
In a September 18 statement, the department said, “The charges include unlawful voting by non-citizens in federal elections, false claims of citizenship to register or vote, and related offenses including wire fraud, naturalization fraud, passport fraud, and unlawful firearm purchases uncovered during the course of these investigations.”
The department noted that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
According to the statement, eight of the defendants are aliens residing in Texas. They include Moises Anwar Arellano-Alba, 36, a Mexican national with a final order of removal, charged with voting by an alien and making a false citizenship claim.
Others charged in Texas include Helen Sayen Adams, 67, and Joshua Nmelichukwu Akpom, 27, both Nigerian nationals, as well as Carlos Salas Barrios, 41, from Mexico, Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, 69, from India, and Celestin Katubadi, 20, from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In Idaho, Avila Gomez, a Mexican national, was accused of voting in 2022 and 2024 after falsely claiming citizenship. He also faces charges for ID fraud, passport fraud, and firearm offenses.
In Georgia, Analiea Milliscent Eccles, 44, a Venezuelan national and DACA recipient, was accused of voting nine times between 2008 and 2024. In Massachusetts, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, a lawful permanent resident, was accused of voting in 2022 and 2024.
Additional cases were filed in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Michigan. In a related social media warning on the cases, the department said, “If you are not allowed to vote in our elections, you shouldn’t. And if you do, that’s a CRIME. This isn’t a partisan issue!”
The department said Homeland Security Investigations led the investigations.
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