TD BOSTON, United States — A Nigerian national living in Lynn, Massachusetts, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully voting in U.S. federal elections despite not being a U.S. citizen, according to federal authorities.
The defendant, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, was arrested on Wednesday and is facing a federal charge of unlawful voting by an alien.
Prosecutors allege that she cast ballots in both the 2022 U.S. midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary election while she was not eligible to vote.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Okafor is a citizen of Nigeria who was born in Aba, Abia State.
Investigators say she is a lawful permanent resident of the United States but has never obtained U.S. citizenship.
Alleged False Voter Registration
Federal investigators allege that Okafor first submitted a voter registration application in July 2022.
On the form, she allegedly signed a certification declaring that she was a citizen of the United States, a requirement for voter registration in federal elections.
Authorities state that the City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote.
Election records reviewed by investigators allegedly show that she voted in the November 8, 2022, midterm election.
Federal offices, including seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, were contested during the election.
Prosecutors further allege that Okafor submitted another voter registration form in October 2023, again indicating that she was a U.S. citizen.
According to investigators, she later participated in the March 5, 2024, presidential primary election.
Investigation Findings
The criminal complaint was filed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Andrew DePatto.
DePatto stated that immigration records identify Okafor as a Nigerian citizen who has not applied for naturalization as a U.S. citizen.
Investigators said that personal details supplied on the voter registration forms matched information contained in her immigration records, including her address and Social Security information.
Signature comparisons were also cited as evidence linking the registration forms to Okafor.
According to the affidavit, Okafor admitted during a recorded interview on September 10, 2026, that she completed and submitted the voter registration forms.
She also admitted to voting in both the 2022 federal midterm election and the 2024 presidential primary election.
Anti-Fraud Initiative, Possible Penalties and Presumption of Innocence
If convicted, Okafor faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000.
Federal authorities also indicated that she could face deportation proceedings after serving any sentence imposed by the court.
The case is part of a broader federal effort targeting voter and public-benefit fraud.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley recently announced the establishment of a Benefit & Voter Fraud Team in Massachusetts to investigate allegations of fraud involving elections and government programs.
The Department of Justice has also created a National Fraud Enforcement Division tasked with investigating and prosecuting fraud-related offenses across the United States.
Federal prosecutors emphasized that the allegations against Okafor remain unproven.
Under U.S. law, she is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court beyond a reasonable doubt.
