Federal prosecutors add six more defendants to LA County voting case
Three new charges bring the total count to 34 individuals accused of illegally registering to vote in California elections.
By Lorenzo Marshall ·
Federal prosecutors filed charges against six Los Angeles County residents on Monday, accusing them of making false statements on U.S. citizenship applications. The defendants are lawful permanent residents who allegedly registered to vote and cast ballots in California elections before denying those actions during the naturalization process.
The six individuals live in the Antelope and San Fernando valleys. They include a 43-year-old Philippine citizen from Palmdale, a 31-year-old Mexican national from Palmdale, a 35-year-old Israeli national from West Hills, a 52-year-old Canadian citizen from Agua Dulce, a 35-year-old Iranian national from Canoga Park, and a 46-year-old Mexican citizen from Palmdale.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the charges in a statement. He stated that his office is moving forward with criminal charges for unlawfully registering and voting. This latest filing brings the total number of defendants in the investigation to 34.
The case is part of Operation Protect the Vote, a federal inquiry into suspected illegal voting by noncitizens in California. Essayli said all 34 charged defendants were included on a list previously shared with state officials. He claimed that thousands of suspected noncitizens remain on California's voter rolls and urged state officials to help verify eligibility.
The Justice Department did not provide specific evidence regarding how many noncitizens are currently registered to vote statewide. Federal law generally bars noncitizens, including green card holders, from voting in federal elections. The investigation targets those who violate this rule while applying for citizenship.
Five of the six new defendants were arrested and are scheduled for initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Prosecutors did not set a specific court date for the sixth defendant. If convicted of making false statements on their naturalization applications, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
