Ten Lawful Permanent Residents Face Federal Charges As Justice Department Targets Alleged Illegal Voting Across Three Minnesota Elections
Thursday, October 1, 2026, 8:30 A.M. ET. 6 Minute Read, By Haylee Ficuciello, Senior Correspondent: Englebrook Independent News,
MINNEAPOLIS, MN.- A federal grand jury has indicted ten foreign nationals in separate voter fraud cases in Minnesota, with federal prosecutors alleging that nine unlawfully cast ballots and several falsely claimed United States citizenship to register or vote.
The indictments, returned on September 24, 2026, involve allegations connected to the November 2022 General Election, the November 2024 General Election, and the August 2026 Primary Election. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the cases on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and said all ten defendants have made their initial appearances in federal court.
Ten Lawful Permanent Residents Charged;
According to the Justice Department, all ten defendants are lawful permanent residents of the United States but are not U.S. citizens. Federal law generally prohibits foreign nationals from voting in elections involving candidates for federal office, and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote is also a federal crime.
The cases represent a direct federal enforcement action against alleged noncitizen voting. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the prosecutions are intended to enforce the legal distinction between lawful permanent residency and American citizenship when it comes to voting.
“Today's charges allege that ten foreign nationals committed voter fraud in Minnesota, one voting illegally as recently as this August's primary,” Blanche said. “The law is clear: only American citizens may vote in American elections, and enforcing this law is fundamental to our democracy. That should not be a partisan concept.”
Allegations Span Three Elections;
The earliest alleged illegal ballot identified in the indictments dates to November 8, 2022. Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, 59, a Lithuanian national, is charged with one count of voting by an alien after prosecutors alleged she unlawfully voted in Minnesota during that year's General Election.
Seven defendants are accused of unlawfully voting in the November 5, 2024, election: Alan Barbu Kargbo, 48, a Liberian national; Paul Kras, 78, a German national; Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, 58, a Bosnian national; Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, 62, a Brazilian national; Chris Adam Pettiquoi, 43, a Liberian national; Christian Liam Schenk, 47, a Canadian national; and Hester Sophia Weihmann, 69, a South African national.
Kargbo, Ozegovic, Padovan, Pettiquoi, Schenk and Weihmann each face one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by an alien. Kras is charged with one count of voting by an alien.
Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, 63, a Ghanaian national, is accused of voting illegally during Minnesota's August 11, 2026, Primary Election. Prosecutors charged Edzie with two counts of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by an alien, alleging that he falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on October 23, 2024, and again on August 11, 2026.
False Citizenship Claim Alleged;
The tenth defendant, Bhator Konah Bryant, 61, a Liberian national, is charged with one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote. Prosecutors allege Bryant falsely represented herself as a U.S. citizen when she registered to vote on October 18, 2024.
Unlike the other nine defendants, the Justice Department's announcement does not accuse Bryant of actually casting an unlawful ballot. Her federal charge concerns the alleged false citizenship declaration made during voter registration.
Federal Officials Emphasize Enforcement;
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a forceful warning following the announcement of the indictments, saying the Trump Administration intends to pursue noncitizens accused of illegally participating in American elections.
“Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation,” Mullin said.
Mullin added that the Administration would not permit unlawful votes by noncitizens to diminish the votes legally cast by American citizens. His statement reflects the Administration's broader emphasis on using federal criminal and immigration enforcement authorities in cases involving alleged election violations by foreign nationals.
U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen similarly framed the prosecutions around citizenship and the legal right to participate in American elections.
“Voting in American elections is a privilege of American citizenship,” Rosen said. “Stealing that privilege is a crime. When, in order to obtain a ballot, a non-citizen swears he or she is a citizen, we will prosecute.”
Initial Court Appearances Completed;
Edzie and Kargbo made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on September 28. Bryant, Edmunds, Kras, Ozegovic, Padovan, Pettiquoi and Weihmann appeared before Judge Bullard the following day.
Schenk made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on September 29. The Justice Department said all ten defendants have now appeared in federal court.
Federal Charges Carry Prison Exposure;
Making a false claim of United States citizenship in order to vote is prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f). A conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Voting by an alien in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611 is a Class A misdemeanor. A conviction can result in up to one year of imprisonment, up to one year of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $100,000.
The potential penalties represent statutory maximums and do not mean that any defendant would necessarily receive the maximum sentence if convicted. Sentencing in federal criminal cases depends upon the applicable statutes, federal sentencing guidelines and other factors considered by the court.
Homeland Security Investigations Led Cases;
The ten prosecutions resulted from an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The Justice Department did not allege in its announcement that the defendants acted together or participated in a coordinated conspiracy; instead, it indicted each defendant separately.
The distinction is significant. The federal cases allege ten individual defendants and multiple Minnesota elections, but the indictments alone do not establish the prevalence of noncitizen voting statewide or nationally.
What the prosecutions do demonstrate is that federal authorities are actively pursuing individual cases in which investigators believe noncitizens unlawfully registered or voted. The Justice Department's position is unequivocal: when evidence supports allegations that a foreign national falsely claimed citizenship or unlawfully cast a ballot, federal prosecutors intend to enforce the applicable election laws.
The cases will now proceed through the federal court system, where prosecutors bear the burden of proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Editor’s Note:
This report was written by Haylee Ficuciello, Senior Correspondent, and is based on information provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Minnesota. An indictment is an allegation and does not constitute evidence of guilt. All ten defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.