Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel announced that four noncitizens have been charged with illegally voting in the 2020, 2022, and 2024 general presidential elections, and with making false statements when applying to become U.S. citizens.
“Today out of @FBINewark: Four individuals have been charged with illegally voting in federal elections and making false statements applying for U.S. citizenship,” Patel said in a post on X. “The individuals – all noncitizens – voted in elections including the 2020 Presidential election, 2022 midterms and 2024 Presidential election cycles.”
In a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, it was revealed that, “according to the separate criminal complaints filed,” David Neewilly, 73, Jacenth Beadle Exum, 70, Idan Choresh, 43, and Abhinandan Vig, 33, had been “non-citizens when they registered to vote in New Jersey.”
The four individuals allegedly “falsely certified and attested” that they were U.S. citizens when they filled out “their respective voter registration forms,” according to the press release.
“This administration will not tolerate aliens who attempt to vote in our elections when they know they are not eligible,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “As alleged, these green card holders lied in order to register to vote and then lied again to immigration authorities by falsely claiming never to have voted in a federal election.”
Each of the four individuals allegedly “cast ballots in at least one federal election,” the criminal complaints say. Neewilly allegedly voted in the 2020 and 2024 general elections, and Beadle Exum and Vig also allegedly “voted in the 2020 general election.” Choresh allegedly “voted in the 2022 general election,” according to the press release.
After the individuals voted in the elections, they allegedly “falsely claimed in their respective N-400” form that they “never registered, or voted, in any federal elections,” according to the press release:
According to the criminal complaints, each of the defendants, still without United States citizenship, cast ballots in at least one federal election. Neewilly voted in the 2020 and 2024 general elections, Beadle Exum and Vig voted in the 2020 general election, and Choresh voted in the 2022 general election. The 2020 and 2024 general elections each included the election for the office of President and Vice President of the United States, and the 2022 general election included the election for Members of the House of Representatives.
The criminal complaints also allege that after illegally voting in federal elections, the defendants each applied to become United States citizens by submitting applications for naturalization (an “N-400”). An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is complete, true, and correct. Each of the defendants falsely claimed in their respective N-400 to have never registered, or voted, in any federal elections.
“HSI is actively investigating and rooting out election fraud wherever it can be found,” ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. “This case shows that there is still work to do.”
