RALEIGH, N.C. — Federal prosecutors announced October 15 that a grand jury has indicted 10 non-U.S. citizens in North Carolina on charges involving false claims of citizenship and alleged unlawful voting in the 2024 election. Federal authorities say voting records associated with several defendants extend back years before the most recent presidential election.

The indictments, announced by U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle for the Eastern District of North Carolina, followed investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Nine defendants face charges of both falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote and voting as a noncitizen. A tenth defendant faces a false-citizenship charge but was not charged with voting as a noncitizen.

The cases raise questions about how individuals who are not U.S. citizens were able to register to vote and, according to the federal allegations, participate in elections over multiple years.

Federal Charges Involve Voting Records Dating Back to 1998

According to the Justice Department, the defendants include nine lawful permanent residents and one individual described as an illegal alien.

Several of the indictments involve voting histories extending well beyond the 2024 election.

Among the cases outlined by federal prosecutors:

• Ramona Abreu-Exia, 71, a German national residing in Cumberland County, allegedly voted in multiple general elections between 2004 and 2024, as well as a 2008 primary election.
• Gjina Gojcaj McDonald, 60, a native of the former Yugoslavia residing in Robeson County, allegedly voted in numerous elections beginning in 2008, including the 2024 general election.
• Karl Fout, 73, a German national residing in Cumberland County, allegedly voted in seven general elections between 2008 and 2024.
• Robert Harold Corbett, 69, a Canadian national residing in Wake County, registered to vote in 1998 and allegedly participated in multiple subsequent elections, including the 2024 general election.
• Eduardd Omar Majano Sosa, 22, a Salvadoran national residing in Cumberland County, allegedly registered and voted in 2024.

The remaining defendants are James Edward Herrmann, Lawton Caswell McKenzie, Lionel Paul, Ludgardys Olena Matthews, and Mervin Sylvester Bogle.

Bogle is charged with falsely claiming citizenship to vote. Although federal prosecutors reported a completed ballot in 2024 and voting-history records from earlier elections, he was not charged with the separate offense of voting as a noncitizen.

Federal prosecutors cited two statutes in the cases: 18 U.S.C. § 1015, involving false claims of citizenship, and 18 U.S.C. § 611, which generally prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, subject to statutory exceptions.

The Justice Department stated that a felony conviction for falsely claiming citizenship to vote can carry a prison sentence of up to five years.

Previous Conviction Revealed Voting Across Nine Federal Elections

The newly announced indictments follow another North Carolina case involving Canadian citizen Denis Joseph Bouchard.

According to the Justice Department, Bouchard lived in the United States for decades without becoming a naturalized citizen. Federal voting records showed that he cast ballots in nine federal elections between 2004 and 2024.

Bouchard pleaded guilty to making false claims of U.S. citizenship in connection with voting and was sentenced in June 2026 to two months in federal prison.

Unlike the 10 newly indicted defendants, Bouchard’s case has resulted in a conviction and sentence.

His case demonstrates that the concern extends beyond a single election cycle: the Justice Department documented repeated participation in federal elections over a period of approximately two decades.

North Carolina Reviewing 1,392 Potential Noncitizen Registrations

The federal indictments were announced two days after the North Carolina State Board of Elections disclosed a separate voter-roll review involving 1,392 registered voters identified as potential non-U.S. citizens.

In an October 13 announcement, the board said it would send letters to those individuals after reviewing information from the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database.

The identified registrations represent approximately 0.02% of North Carolina’s 7.9 million registered voters, amounting to 1,392 individuals whose citizenship status requires further verification.

State election officials emphasized that a SAVE database match does not establish that a registrant is ineligible. Citizenship records can be incomplete or outdated, particularly when an individual has subsequently become a naturalized U.S. citizen.

The board said it conducts additional checks, including reviews of voter records and citizenship documentation, before initiating any removal proceedings.

Receiving a letter does not automatically cancel a registration or prevent an otherwise eligible voter from participating in the November 3 general election.

The board’s review and the federal criminal indictments are distinct matters. State officials have not established that the 1,392 registrants under review are connected to the 10 federal cases.

Citizenship Verification and Voter-Roll Accuracy

The indictments highlight the importance of determining voter eligibility at registration and maintaining accurate records over time.

Federal law generally reserves participation in federal elections for U.S. citizens. Lawful permanent residency, even after many years in the United States, does not itself confer the right to vote in federal elections.

The cases described by prosecutors include individuals whose recorded election participation allegedly continued across several election cycles. If the charges are proven, those histories would demonstrate that ineligible registrations can persist long after their initial acceptance.

For election-integrity researchers and officials, the developments underscore the need for reliable citizenship verification, lawful voter-list maintenance, and appropriate investigation when records indicate possible ineligibility.

They also illustrate why potentially inaccurate database information must be distinguished from confirmed violations. An unresolved citizenship-status discrepancy is not, by itself, proof that an individual voted unlawfully.

The Justice Department has stated that protecting federal elections remains a priority and that it will continue investigating suspected election-law violations.

All 10 newly indicted defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.