Nigerian Woman Arrested in US Over Alleged Illegal Voting in 2022, 2024 Elections
A 56-year-old Nigerian woman living in Lynn, Massachusetts, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested and charged with allegedly voting in US elections despite not being a US citizen.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced the case on Wednesday, saying Okafor is charged with unlawfully voting as an alien.
Federal prosecutors allege that Okafor voted in the 2022 midterm elections and later in the 2024 presidential primary election, after allegedly declaring on voter registration forms that she was a US citizen.
According to the charging documents, Okafor was born in Aba, Nigeria, and obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022. Prosecutors said she is not a US citizen and has not applied for US citizenship.
Authorities allege that Okafor submitted her first voter registration form in July 2022, before obtaining permanent resident status. The form included a certification stating that she was a US citizen, which she allegedly signed under penalty of perjury.
The City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote, and prosecutors allege that she cast a ballot in the November 2022 midterm elections.
The federal complaint also alleges that Okafor submitted another voter registration form in October 2023 and again indicated that she was a US citizen.
Prosecutors further allege that she subsequently voted in the March 2024 presidential primary election. Election records reviewed by investigators reportedly show votes associated with Okafor in both elections.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuting the matter.
The charge of unlawfully voting as an alien carries a potential sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
The authorities also said Okafor could be subject to deportation after completion of any sentence imposed.
However, the US Attorney’s Office stressed that the allegations in the criminal complaint have not been proven in court and that Okafor is presumed innocent unless and until she is found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case comes as the US Department of Justice continues to pursue cases involving alleged election and voter fraud. The District of Massachusetts established a Benefit & Voter Fraud Team earlier in 2026.