Grand jurors have indicted six foreign nationals accused of voting illegally in Ohio. Ahmed Aden, 35, from Columbus, along with Nicholas Fontaine, 32, of Kent; Van Thuy Cooper, 53, of Hilliard; Maria Dearaujo, 62, of Columbus; Ramesh Patel, 68, of North Royalton; and Lorinda Miller, 78, of Hudson, face accusations of voting despite being noncitizens between 2008 and 2020.
The defendants stand charged under Ohio’s illegal voting law, which prohibits individuals from voting without legal citizen qualifications or voting more than once in a single election. Illegal voting is classified as a fourth-degree felony, potentially leading to an 18-month prison sentence. “If you’re not a citizen, it is illegal to vote whether you thought you were allowed to or not, and you will be held accountable in the state of Ohio,” warned Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.
Yost’s office intervened following referrals from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who, in August, brought attention to 138 cases of alleged illegal voting. Yost’s office focused on noncitizen cases, with special state prosecutors leading the investigations.
Federal law mandates that only American citizens can vote in federal elections. Still, the fact that people are not generally required to present proof of citizenship when registering to vote—or to present photographic identification when voting in person—has allowed noncitizens to circumvent the law sufficiently to change the outcome of elections.
The vast majority of Americans want proof of citizenship and photo ID requirements to be introduced, but the Democrats—who benefit disproportionately from noncitizens voting illegally—are bitterly opposed to such safeguards.
