NEW YORK, October 19, 2026 — Illegal voting by non-U.S. citizens is not merely a political allegation. Federal court cases confirm that noncitizens have unlawfully voted in American elections, pleaded guilty to election-related offenses and, in at least one documented case, received a prison sentence.
On October 16, the U.S. Department of Justice announced new criminal charges involving 16 foreign nationals in New York, North Carolina and Idaho. Five defendants in New York are lawful permanent residents accused of voting in federal elections despite lacking U.S. citizenship.
The announcements came weeks before the November 3 midterm elections and renewed a national debate about voter eligibility, election integrity and the maintenance of voter-registration records.
Political commentator Benny Johnson highlighted the prosecutions in a YouTube video criticizing former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Midtown Tribune examined the available Department of Justice records to distinguish proven offenses from pending criminal allegations and broader political claims.
A Federal Prison Sentence: Nine Elections Without U.S. Citizenship
One of the clearest documented cases involves Denis Bouchard, a Canadian citizen who had lived in the United States since the 1960s without becoming a U.S. citizen.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, voter records confirmed that Bouchard cast ballots in nine federal elections between 2004 and 2024.
Bouchard pleaded guilty to two counts of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote.
On June 1, 2026, a federal judge sentenced him to:
- Two months in federal prison.
- One year of supervised release.
- Potential immigration consequences.
The case establishes that federal prosecutors have obtained a conviction and a custodial sentence for election-related misconduct involving a noncitizen.
Official DOJ report: Canadian Citizen Sentenced for Illegally Voting in North Carolina Elections.
Texas: British Citizen Admits Illegal Voting
On July 30, 2026, federal prosecutors in Houston announced that Ada Ngozi Otuka, a British citizen and lawful U.S. resident, had pleaded guilty to illegal voting and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.
According to the Southern District of Texas, Otuka admitted illegally voting in the 2020 federal election.
Investigators also identified voting records from 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2024.
The DOJ announcement stated that sentencing was scheduled for November 5, 2026.
This case illustrates an important distinction: a green card allows a foreign national to live permanently in the United States, but it does not confer the right to vote in federal elections.
Official DOJ report: Ada Ngozi Otuka Pleads Guilty to Illegal Voting.
Florida: Three Noncitizens Plead Guilty
On June 22, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida announced convictions involving three noncitizens who pleaded guilty in separate federal cases.
According to prosecutors, the defendants knowingly participated in federal elections despite not being eligible to vote.
These were not merely untested accusations. The defendants entered guilty pleas, establishing criminal responsibility for the offenses admitted in court.
Official DOJ report: Three Noncitizens Convicted of Illegal Voting and Related Election Offenses.
New Jersey: French Citizen Admits Voting in a Federal Election
Another case arose in neighboring New Jersey.
On June 24, federal prosecutors announced that Eliezer Kadoch, a French citizen residing in Toms River, had pleaded guilty to voting unlawfully in the November 2022 federal election.
According to the District of New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office, Kadoch admitted voting despite knowing that he was not a United States citizen.
His sentencing was scheduled for October 26, 2026.
The investigation involved the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Official DOJ report: Alien Admits to Illegally Voting in Federal Election.
October 16: Five Noncitizens Charged in New York
The latest developments have particular relevance for New York residents.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York announced charges involving five foreign nationals who allegedly voted in federal elections.
The defendants are:
| Defendant | Citizenship | New York residence |
|---|---|---|
| Vikki Bradt | United Kingdom | Ballston Spa |
| Samantha Merkle | United Kingdom | Glens Falls |
| Suad Sasic | Bosnia | Clifton Park |
| Jacques Patry | Canada | Tupper Lake |
| Paula Stitt | Canada | Albany |
According to federal prosecutors, all five are lawful permanent residents.
The criminal complaints allege that they knowingly voted in elections involving federal offices while lacking U.S. citizenship.
The charged offense carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
These cases remain allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Homeland Security Investigations participated in the announcement, demonstrating the involvement of federal immigration investigators alongside prosecutors.
Official DOJ report: Five Non-Citizens Arrested for Voter Fraud Across the Northern District.
North Carolina: Ten More Defendants Indicted
On October 15, 2026, federal prosecutors announced that a grand jury had indicted ten noncitizens accused of illegally voting in the 2024 election.
The Eastern District of North Carolina’s announcement describes allegations involving false claims of U.S. citizenship and voting by noncitizens.
Some defendants are accused of voting in multiple elections over several years.
Federal prosecutors worked with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and North Carolina election officials.
The grand jury’s indictments establish that prosecutors obtained formal charges. They do not establish guilt.
Official DOJ report: Ten Federal Indictments Alleging Noncitizens Voted in the 2024 Election.
DOJ Has Announced Additional Election-Crime Cases
The Justice Department also published broader announcements during September and October:
September 18: DOJ announced charges involving 16 individuals for illegal voting, registration fraud and related offenses.
September 28: DOJ announced charges and guilty pleas involving 12 individuals, including allegations concerning approximately 300 mail-in ballots allegedly discarded by a postal worker.
October 5: DOJ announced cases involving 16 foreign nationals.
October 12: DOJ announced charges involving 16 individuals, including allegations involving noncitizen voting, multiple voting and misuse of a deceased person’s ballot.
October 16: DOJ announced charges involving another group of 16 foreign nationals.
These totals should not automatically be added together. Some national announcements overlap with individual U.S. Attorney’s Office reports, and different announcements may describe charges, guilty pleas or earlier cases.
A reliable count of unique defendants would require matching individuals and case numbers across the releases.
What Did Kamala Harris Actually Say?
Benny Johnson’s video also features a clip of former Vice President Kamala Harris warning voters that they should check their registration status to ensure they have not been removed from voter rolls.
Johnson portrays her comments as resistance to efforts to remove noncitizens from election registers.
But the recording does not show Harris admitting that Democrats rely on noncitizen voting or encouraging ineligible people to cast ballots.
The issue requires two separate protections.
First, election officials must prevent ineligible individuals from voting.
Second, properly registered eligible citizens must not be incorrectly removed from voter rolls.
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission provides federal guidance on voter-list maintenance and accurate registration records.
Whether a specific voter-list policy achieves both objectives must be evaluated through its actual procedures and results, not inferred from a political speech alone.
What Does Federal Law Say?
Under 18 U.S.C. § 611, noncitizens generally may not vote in federal elections, subject to statutory exceptions.
Other federal statutes prohibit particular false claims of citizenship and fraudulent registration practices.
These restrictions can apply to individuals living in the United States legally, including green-card holders.
That distinction matters because the phrase illegal immigrant voting does not accurately describe every case involving an ineligible noncitizen voter.
For example, the five New York defendants identified by DOJ are lawful permanent residents, not individuals described by prosecutors as unlawfully present.
Do These Cases Prove Widespread Election Manipulation?
The verified cases demonstrate that illegal voting has occurred and that federal authorities have pursued offenders.
A prison sentence, a guilty plea and a pending indictment are different forms of evidence and must be reported accordingly.
What the DOJ announcements do not establish is the total number of illegal ballots cast nationwide or whether the outcome of a particular election changed because of noncitizen voting.
Nor do these criminal cases, on their own, establish involvement by Kamala Harris or the Democratic Party in organizing unlawful voting.
Measuring the national prevalence of illegal voting would require comprehensive, comparable election data rather than extrapolating from selected prosecutions.
Conclusion: Proven Crimes, New Charges and Unanswered Questions
The Department of Justice’s official records support several clear conclusions.
Noncitizens have illegally voted in U.S. federal elections. Some admitted their offenses, and at least one documented case resulted in a federal prison sentence.
Federal authorities have also brought additional cases ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections, including five defendants in New York and ten in North Carolina.
But the existence of these cases does not establish that millions of illegal votes were cast or that one political party orchestrated them.
For election officials, the central responsibility remains the same: enforce eligibility requirements, investigate violations and protect the voting rights of qualified citizens.
For the public, the strongest evidence comes from official court records and documented prosecutions rather than viral political headlines.
Official U.S. Government Sources
- DOJ — Denis Bouchard Sentenced to Federal Prison, June 1, 2026
- DOJ — Ada Ngozi Otuka Pleads Guilty, July 30, 2026
- DOJ — Three Noncitizens Convicted in Florida, June 22, 2026
- DOJ — Eliezer Kadoch Pleads Guilty in New Jersey, June 24, 2026
- DOJ — Five Noncitizens Charged in Northern New York, October 16, 2026
- DOJ — Ten North Carolina Indictments, October 15, 2026
- DOJ — National Announcement Involving 16 Foreign Nationals, October 16, 2026
- U.S. Code — 18 U.S.C. § 611: Voting by Aliens
- U.S. Election Assistance Commission — Voter-List Maintenance
Video discussed: Benny Johnson — Kamala Harris Has On-Camera PANIC Attack After Trump MASS ARRESTS Illegals for VOTING.
Midtown Tribune — Independent reporting based on official U.S. Department of Justice records. Criminal charges are allegations unless guilt has been established through a conviction or guilty plea.
Ask Midtown Tribune about this story
Answers are grounded first in this article. Search all Midtown Tribune reporting from the main AI Search page.
AI-generated summary. Verify important details in the linked original articles.