Trending 
A Nigerian woman residing in Massachusetts, United States, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested and charged with allegedly voting illegally in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary election.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the 56-year-old Nigerian voted in the elections despite not being a US citizen.
Okafor was arrested on Wednesday morning and was expected to appear in a court in Boston later that day.
The accused, who was born in Aba, Nigeria, obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but had not acquired US citizenship or applied for naturalisation.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Okafor’s alleged voting offences began before she obtained permanent resident status.
Authorities further alleged that she registered to vote again in 2023, declaring herself a US citizen on the registration form.
“In July 2022, Okafor allegedly submitted a voter registration card, signing her name under a certification which provided, ‘I am a citizen of the United States … Signed under penalty of perjury.’ The City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote, and Okafor allegedly voted in the midterm elections that fall,” the statement said.
Okafor faces a possible sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000 if convicted of unlawfully voting as an alien.
She may also face deportation after completing any sentence imposed.
A district court judge would determine any sentence under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable sentencing laws.
The US Attorney’s Office, however, noted that the allegations contained in the charging document remained unproven in court.
