A Nigerian woman, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, has been arrested in Massachusetts, United States, for allegedly voting in American elections despite not being a US citizen.
Okafor, who lives in Lynn, was accused of participating in the 2022 midterm elections and subsequently casting a ballot during the 2024 presidential primary, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said on Wednesday.
The federal authorities said Okafor was charged with unlawfully voting as an alien and was taken into custody on Wednesday morning. She was expected to appear before a federal court in Boston over the allegation.
According to the charging documents, Okafor is a Nigerian national born in Aba, Abia State.
The authorities said she became a lawful permanent resident in December 2022 but had neither acquired US citizenship nor applied for it.
Prosecutors alleged that she had already registered as a voter in July 2022 by signing a declaration stating that she was a US citizen.
Her registration was subsequently accepted by the City of Lynn, after which she allegedly voted in the November 2022 midterm polls.
The authorities also accused Okafor of submitting another voter registration application in October 2023, in which she again indicated that she was an American citizen. She allegedly went on to vote in the 2024 presidential primary.
The federal charge carries a possible maximum sentence of 12 months in prison, a year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000.
Officials added that Okafor could also be subject to deportation after completing any sentence imposed by the court.
The case is being handled by Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit.
However, federal prosecutors stressed that the accusations contained in the charging document are only allegations and that Okafor remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
