The DOJ continues to crack down on alleged voter fraud, and there seems to be strength in numbers.
Just one day before Americans headed to the polls, the Justice Department announced election-related criminal charges against 63 people nationwide. This includes 12 defendants in California accused of illegally voting or lying about their voting histories while applying for U.S. citizenship. Some of the allegations go back decades, with one North Carolina defendant accused of illegally voting in 12 general elections dating back to 2000, while another allegedly cast ballots in 18 separate elections.
The massive announcement came Monday, Nov. 2, with feds detailing allegations involving past elections, including the 2022 midterms and 2024 presidential election, as well as voting in 2026. In California, six defendants were charged in the Central District, which includes Los Angeles, and another six in the Eastern District, which covers Sacramento and much of the Central Valley.
Attorney General Todd Blanche called the announcement the largest surge of voter-fraud arrests since President Trump returned to office. “These foreign nationals allegedly took advantage of the trust of the American people and flouted the laws that govern our nation’s elections,” Blanche said. “This Department of Justice will continue investigating and prosecuting voter fraud to restore confidence in our electoral system.”
Feds also charged six lawful permanent residents from six different countries in the Central District of California with allegedly making false statements on their naturalization applications after registering to vote or casting ballots in U.S. elections.
Among them is Moria Dahan, 35, an Israeli national, who prosecutors claim illegally registered to vote and cast an in-person ballot on Nov. 5, 2024, the day of the presidential election. Authorities claim Dahan falsely declared herself a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury. Just over a year later, on Nov. 6, 2025, she allegedly denied ever claiming citizenship or registering to vote when she applied for naturalization.
Sirgalahad Camua, 43, a Filipino national, allegedly registered to vote in August 2009 by falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and later cast mail-in ballots in three elections: May 2020, November 2024 and June 2026. Prosecutors say he denied both the citizenship claim and his voter registration history on a May 2025 naturalization application.
Chad Goertz, 52, a Canadian citizen, allegedly registered to vote in April 2018 and cast mail-in ballots in the November 2022 and November 2024 elections. In February 2026, prosecutors allege he falsely denied ever claiming U.S. citizenship or registering to vote.
Mahyar Nikzad, 35, an Iranian national, allegedly checked a box affirming that he was a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to federal authorities, records show he voted in the March and November 2024 elections. He is accused of denying that history on his February 2026 naturalization application.
Gilberto Ruiz, 46, a Mexican national, allegedly registered to vote in July 2022 and cast mail-in ballots in November 2022, March 2024 and November 2024. Prosecutors say he falsely denied ever claiming citizenship or registering to vote when applying for naturalization in August 2025.
Krystel Capi Valle, 31, also a Mexican national, allegedly registered to vote in October 2022 after falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and cast a mail-in ballot that November. Prosecutors say she denied having registered or claimed citizenship on her June 2026 naturalization application.
All six face charges involving allegedly false statements on their naturalization applications. The Justice Department’s announcement does not establish that any defendant’s ballot changed an election result. Charges involving alleged false statements on naturalization applications can carry up to five years in federal prison and fines if convicted.
In the Eastern District of California, federal prosecutors charged another six lawful permanent residents with allegedly voting illegally in U.S. elections.
Five are accused of voting in the November 2024 presidential election: Lorie Jane Alcala, 44, a Filipino national; Edith San Pedro Carter, 59, also a Filipino national; Maria Joao Bettencourt, 49, a Portuguese national; Rosa Bento Silva Anderson, 26, also a Portuguese national; and Janelyn Stewart, 38, a Filipino national.
A sixth defendant, Meryll Joy Quirong Costi, 36, a Filipino national, is accused of voting in both the November 2022 midterm election and the November 2024 presidential election.
Unlike the six Central District defendants, who face charges related to statements on naturalization applications, these six were charged with illegal voting itself.
Outside of California, the DOJ announced charges against 51 additional defendants across 14 states. North Carolina accounted for the largest number outside California, with 18 defendants, followed by Tennessee with seven, Texas and Pennsylvania with five each, and Nevada with four. New Jersey, Wisconsin and New York each had two defendants, while Georgia, Maryland, Utah, Missouri, New Mexico and Arkansas each had one.
Among the more shocking allegations, a North Carolina defendant is accused of voting in 12 general elections dating back to 2000, while another allegedly voted in nine general elections and nine primaries. In New Mexico, a Maryland man is accused of submitting a fraudulent voter registration application by falsely claiming to reside in the state, according to the Justice Department’s announcement.
Credit: Photo by Olivier Douliery/ Abaca PressThe department also reported that it had charged 195 noncitizens across 25 states with illegal voting and registration offenses over the previous nine weeks, and 239 people with voting-fraud-related offenses since the beginning of the Trump administration.
While the charges were announced just one day before the Nov. 3 election, most of the alleged illegal voting happened in earlier elections. Prosecutors have not claimed that the 12 California defendants worked together or that any of their votes changed an election result.
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