Six noncitizens are facing federal charges out of Tampa for allegedly falsely claiming United States citizenship to register and vote, or for illegally casting ballots, in the 2022 and 2024 elections. The announcement names no individual defendants, leaving the specific allegations against each of the six still unknown.
The case was disclosed on Thursday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida
, whose office is based in Tampa. The announcement, posted alongside tags for Homeland Security Investigations’ Tampa office and the Florida Secretary of State, states plainly that the six were charged for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote and/or illegally voting in the two election cycles. No further details on the defendants’ identities, nationalities, or the precise nature of their alleged votes were included in the release.
Federal Statutes Underpinning the Charges
Prosecutions of this kind typically draw on two federal statutes. Under 18 U.S.C. § 611, as laid out by the United States Code, it is unlawful for an alien to vote in an election held wholly or partly to elect specified federal officials. A second statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f), addresses knowingly making a false statement or claim of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote or vote in a federal, state, or local election, according to the same federal code…