A 56-year-old Nigerian woman living in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, has been arrested and charged with allegedly voting in US elections despite not being an American citizen.
The woman, identified as Gladys Adaeze Okafor, is accused of voting in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary election.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
According to the statement, Okafor was arrested on Wednesday morning and charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. She was expected to appear before a federal court in Boston later in the day.
Court documents cited by the US authorities identified Okafor as a Nigerian citizen born in Aba, Nigeria. She reportedly obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but had not become a US citizen or applied for American citizenship.
Prosecutors alleged that Okafor first registered to vote in July 2022, before obtaining permanent resident status, and certified under penalty of perjury that she was a US citizen.
The authorities said the City of Lynn subsequently registered her as a voter and alleged that she participated in the 2022 midterm elections.
Prosecutors further alleged that Okafor submitted another voter registration form in October 2023, again identifying herself as a US citizen, before allegedly voting in the 2024 presidential primary election.
If convicted, the charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. The authorities 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 case is also being handled within the district’s Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, an initiative established in March 2026 to investigate alleged fraud-related offences.
Meanwhile, the US Attorney’s Office stressed that the accusations against Okafor remain allegations and have not been proven in court.
The office said Okafor is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
