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Nigerian Woman Arrested in US Over Alleged Illegal Voting in Two Elections
A 56-year-old Nigerian woman living in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested and charged with allegedly voting in federal elections despite not being a US citizen.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said Okafor allegedly voted in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary election.
According to federal prosecutors, Okafor is a Nigerian citizen born in Aba, Abia State, who obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but had not become a US citizen or applied for citizenship.
The authorities alleged that Okafor first registered to vote in July 2022, when she allegedly signed a voter registration form certifying that she was a US citizen.
The City of Lynn subsequently registered her as a voter, and prosecutors alleged that she cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm elections.
Federal authorities further alleged that Okafor submitted another voter registration form in October 2023, again indicating that she was a US citizen.
She allegedly subsequently voted in the 2024 presidential primary election.
Okafor was arrested on Wednesday and charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. She was expected to appear in federal court in Boston following her arrest.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. Prosecutors also said she could face deportation after completing any sentence imposed.
The case was announced by US Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The prosecution comes amid increased efforts by US authorities to investigate alleged voter and benefit fraud in Massachusetts. The District of Massachusetts established a Benefit & Voter Fraud Team in March 2026.
However, federal prosecutors stressed that the allegations against Okafor have not been proven in court.
The US Attorney’s Office said Okafor is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.