The U.S. Department of Justice announced that 18 aliens, including an illegal alien, in North Carolina have been indicted for illegally voting. One of those charged is a resident of Catawba County. Nine were charged in the Eastern District of North Carolina, five were charged in the Middle District of North Carolina, and four were charged in the Western District of North Carolina. These indictments are in addition to 12 individuals who were previously indicted in the Eastern District of North Carolina for illegally voting, bringing the statewide total to 30 indicted this year.
Four aliens have been indicted for illegally voting in federal elections in the Western District of North Carolina. A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned criminal indictments against the individuals. Included among the four is 50-year-old Luis Alberto DeJesus, a Dominican national and lawful permanent resident of the United States residing in Conover. He’s charged with voting by an alien in a federal election and making a false claim to U.S. citizenship to vote. It is alleged that DeJesus falsely stated on an Early Voting Application that he was a U.S. citizen and thereafter voted on October 30, 2024, knowing that he was not a U.S. citizen and was not legally permitted to cast a ballot.
The charges of falsely stating or claiming U.S. citizenship to vote carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Voting by an alien carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. Upon conviction, a federal district court judge will determine any imposed sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. FBI and HSI are investigating the above cases. The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina are prosecuting the cases in their respective districts.