The Justice Department announced cases involving 12 people in seven federal districts over alleged noncitizen voting and false citizenship claims; two defendants have pleaded guilty. Utah prosecutors say a postal worker discarded about 300 mail-in ballots.
Cases were announced Sept. 28 in Florida, Kansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Hawaii and Utah. In New Jersey, prosecutors allege Patrick Terrance Reid voted in four presidential elections from 2012 through 2024; Danubis Bernat is accused of voting in 2024 and later making false statements while applying for citizenship. Florida's Valery Zidor pleaded guilty to two false citizenship claims made to vote and voting as an alien; Hawaii's Bernadette Acaso pleaded guilty to unlawful alien voting after a 2024 mail ballot. Christiane Vinette Young faces charges over alleged votes in three Florida elections.
George Olawunmi Johnson is accused of claiming U.S. citizenship on a 2010 Kansas voter registration before voting in 2024; Texas' Imelda Magallanes is charged over a 2024 vote. Pennsylvania prosecutors allege Dilea Ochoa-Perez voted in 2022 and 2024, Sade Guppy in 2022 and Eduardo Gallardo Maldonado in 2024. Cliff Sanon is charged over one allegedly fraudulent 2026 registration application among eight prosecutors say he submitted, not separately over his alleged 2022 vote. Utah postal worker Damon Matai Seei is charged with unlawfully hiding, destroying or delaying mail. DOJ's release did not allege ballots were fraudulently completed, altered or cast.
