The Justice Department announced charges Friday against four non-citizens in New Jersey for illegally voting in state elections and making false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship.
Liberian national David Neewilly, 73, of Atlantic County; Jamaican national Jacenth Beadle Exum, 70, of Bergen County; Israeli national Idan Choresh, 43, of Monmouth County; and Indian national Abhinandan Vig, 33, of Monmouth County were charged in four separate indictments filed by the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Each defendant cast a ballot in at least one state election after falsely identifying themselves as US citizens on voter registration forms, according to the complaints.
The four were charged after an investigation by the District of New Jersey’s Election Integrity Task Force.
“As it is alleged that the defendants violated federal law by voting in an election in which they were not eligible to participate, they made false statements under oath to conceal it,” said New Jersey’s U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer in a statement.
“Today’s payments demonstrate the Office’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our election system, and ensuring that those who attempt to circumvent our voting laws and our naturalization process are prosecuted,” he added.
Neewilly voted in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, Beadle Exum and Vig voted in the 2020 elections and Choresh voted in the 2022 midterm elections, according to prosecutors.
The DOJ alleges that after voting illegally in federal elections, each of the defendants submitted papers for naturalization – in an attempt to become US citizens – swearing “under penalty of perjury” that they had never registered, or voted, in any federal election, which prosecutors said was false.
“This administration will not tolerate immigrants trying to vote in our elections knowing they are ineligible,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “As mentioned, these green card holders lied to register to vote and then again lied to the immigrants by lying and saying they never voted in the federal election.
“The Justice Department will use all powers to protect the integrity of US elections, including prosecuting any citizens who lie about their legal status when attempting to vote.”
Neewilly was charged with voting by an unknown person in a state election and making false statements regarding naturalization. He faces up to 11 years in prison if convicted.
Choresh was charged with voting by an alien in a federal election, making false statements regarding naturalization and purchasing citizenship or obtaining citizenship illegally. He faces up to 16 years in prison if convicted.
Vig has been charged with obtaining citizenship or citizenship illegally and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Beadle Exum has been charged with making false statements regarding naturalization under two separate statutes and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
“Protecting our elections from criminal actors at home and around the world is one of the FBI’s top priorities,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement.
“Non-citizen voting is a collective crime – period – and although some authorities may have looked the other way in the past, those days are over,” he warned. “We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to ensure that those who engage in this practice do not get away with it.”
