Nigerian Woman Arrested In US Over Alleged Illegal Voting

A 56-year-old Nigerian woman residing in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested and charged with allegedly voting illegally in the 2022 midterm elections despite not being a US citizen.

Okafor is also accused of registering as a voter in 2023 and subsequently voting in the 2024 presidential primary election after declaring herself a US citizen.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The statement identified Okafor as a Nigerian national and said she was charged with unlawfully voting as an alien.

“Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, is charged with unlawfully voting as an alien. The defendant was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Boston later today,” the statement said.

According to charging documents, Okafor is a Nigerian citizen who was born in Aba, Nigeria.

The documents stated that she obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but was not a US citizen and had not applied for US citizenship.

Prosecutors alleged that Okafor’s voting activities began before she obtained permanent resident status.

The authorities said she submitted a voter registration card in July 2022, signing a certification stating that she was a US citizen under penalty of perjury.

“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 statement said.

The City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote, after which she allegedly 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.

“It is further alleged that Okafor submitted a second voter registration form in October of 2023, checking the ‘U.S. Citizen’ box and signing under the US citizen certification. Okafor allegedly voted in the 2024 presidential primary election,” the statement added.

The charge of unlawful voting as an alien carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000.

The US Attorney’s Office said Okafor could also face deportation after serving any sentence imposed.

It added that any sentence would ultimately be determined by a federal district court judge based on the US Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal sentencing laws.

The case was announced by United States 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 prosecution also comes amid a wider federal focus on alleged fraud in Massachusetts.

According to the statement, Foley announced the creation of the district’s Benefit & Voter Fraud Team on March 26, 2026, as a district-wide initiative to tackle what authorities described as fraud being uncovered across the state.

“On March 26, 2026, United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts,” the statement said.

The US Department of Justice subsequently announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division on April 7, 2026, to investigate and prosecute fraud against Americans.

“The Fraud Division is investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people,” the statement added.

However, the US Attorney’s Office cautioned that the allegations against Okafor have not been proven in court.

“The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law,” the office stated.