A 56-year-old Nigerian woman living in Lynn, Massachusetts, United States, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested and charged with allegedly voting illegally in the 2022 US midterm elections.
Okafor was also accused of voting in the 2024 presidential primary election despite not being a US citizen.
The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to the statement, Okafor was charged with unlawfully voting as an alien and was arrested on Wednesday morning. She was expected to appear in federal court in Boston later that day.
The statement said, “BOSTON – A Nigerian national residing in Lynn, Mass. has been arrested and charged with illegally voting in the 2022 midterm elections. Defendant also allegedly voted in the 2024 Presidential primary election.”
The defendant was identified as Gladys Adaeze Okafor, 56, a Nigerian citizen born in Aba, Nigeria.
According to the charging documents, Okafor obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but was not a US citizen and had not applied for US citizenship.
The authorities alleged that her first voter registration took place in July 2022, before she obtained permanent resident status.
The statement said, “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 City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote, and Okafor allegedly voted in the midterm elections that fall.”
The US Attorney’s Office further alleged that Okafor submitted another voter registration form in October 2023, again declaring herself a US citizen.
It said, “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 charge of unlawfully voting as an alien carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. The authorities said Okafor could also face deportation after completing any sentence imposed.
The statement added that any sentence would be determined by a federal district court judge based on the US Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes.
The case was announced by US 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 case is also linked to the District of Massachusetts’ recently established Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, which was announced by Foley in March 2026.
According to the statement, the team was created as “a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts.”
The US Department of Justice also announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division on April 7, 2026, to investigate and prosecute fraud against Americans.
However, the US Attorney’s Office stressed that the allegations against Okafor have not been proven in court.
It stated, “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.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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