A 56-year-old Nigerian national residing in Lynn, Massachusetts, has been taken into custody for allegedly casting ballots in two separate American elections without holding United States citizenship. The US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced the charges against Gladys Adaeze Okafor on Wednesday, accusing her of unlawfully voting as an alien in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary. According to charging documents, Okafor was born in Aba, Nigeria, and only secured lawful permanent resident status in December 2022. At no point did she apply for US citizenship.
How the Alleged Offences Unfolded
Prosecutors allege that the trouble began months before Okafor obtained her green card. In July 2022, she reportedly submitted a voter registration form in which she signed a declaration confirming she was a US citizen, a claim made under penalty of perjury. The City of Lynn registered her to vote on that basis, and she allegedly went on to vote in that year's midterm elections. She then allegedly submitted a second registration form in October 2023, again ticking the "US Citizen" box and signing the corresponding certification. She is accused of using that registration to vote in the 2024 presidential primary.
Legal Consequences and Penalties
The charge of unlawful voting as an alien carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000. Okafor may also face deportation once any sentence is served. 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 handling the prosecution.
Case Linked to New Fraud Unit
Foley launched the district's Benefit and Voter Fraud Team on March 26, 2026, describing it as a response to what she called rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The US Department of Justice followed that move by creating the National Fraud Enforcement Division on April 7, 2026, with a mandate to investigate and prosecute fraud against the American public. Okafor was arrested on Wednesday morning and was expected to appear before a federal court in Boston later that day. A judge will determine her sentence based on the US Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes. The US Attorney's Office stressed that the charges against Okafor remain allegations and that she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
