By Blessing Fali
A 56-year-old Nigerian woman, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, and charged with allegedly voting in federal elections despite not being a United States citizen.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Okafor is a Nigerian citizen who was born in Aba, Nigeria. She obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but was not a US citizen and had not applied for citizenship.
Prosecutors allege that Okafor registered to vote in July 2022 and signed a certification stating that she was a United States citizen. She allegedly went on to vote in the 2022 midterm elections.
Authorities further alleged that she submitted another voter registration form in October 2023, again indicating that she was a US citizen, before allegedly voting in the 2024 presidential primary election.
Okafor has been charged with unlawfully voting as an alien under US federal law. If convicted, she could face up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. She could also face deportation after any sentence imposed.
The Department of Justice said the allegations contained in the charging documents are not proof of guilt. Okafor is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty in court.
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