Federal prosecutors in North Carolina charged 18 individuals with illegally casting ballots in the 2024 elections, bringing the total number of individuals indicted on similar federal charges across the state to 30 this year.
The latest indictments span three distinct judicial districts. Nine cases were filed in the Eastern District, five in the Middle District, and four in the Western District, which encompasses Charlotte. The majority held legal permanent residency.
Distribution of Federal Indictments Across North Carolina
| Federal Judicial District | New Defendants |
|---|---|
| Eastern District of North Carolina | 9 |
| Middle District of North Carolina | 5 |
| Western District of North Carolina | 4 |
Among the four defendants named in the Western District are three Charlotte residents and one individual from Conover. Michael Agah, a 74-year-old citizen of Nigeria and legal permanent resident of Charlotte, faces charges of voting in the November 5, 2024, federal election and falsely claiming citizenship. Similar allegations were brought against Serge Christian Dupont, a 57-year-old citizen of France residing in Charlotte, and Edread Ray Stanley, a 63-year-old citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Luis Alberto DeJesus, 50, a citizen of the Dominican Republic living in Conover, is accused of declaring false citizenship on an early voting application and casting a ballot on October 30, 2024.
DOJ CHARGES 18 MORE PEOPLE IN NORTH CAROLINA NONCITIZEN VOTING CASES: WHAT THE RECORDS SHOWOn October 29, the Department of Justice announced charges against 18 additional people accused of illegally voting in North Carolina's 2024 election.DOJ says this brings its broader…
The Middle District federal prosecutor’s office announced indictments against five additional residents. These include Adrianus Marinus Van Der Staak of Seagrove, a citizen of the Netherlands; Saida Adali Hirachete Olivarez of Reidsville, a Mexican citizen; Juan Florencio Ramos of Salisbury, a Cuban citizen; Phillip Alexander Carter of Winston-Salem, originally from Barbados; and Yamila Ávalos of Concord, an Argentine citizen. Four of these individuals face counts of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship alongside unlawful voting, while Ávalos is charged with voting without being a U.S. citizen.
In the Eastern District, a federal grand jury indicted nine individuals. The indictment against Crudup, a resident of Harnett County, mentions participation in nine general elections and nine primaries between 2008 and 2026.
Federal guidelines dictate that holding a permanent resident card, commonly known as a green card, does not confer the right to vote in U.S. federal elections. Citizenship remains a strict statutory prerequisite, a restriction that applies regardless of how many decades an individual has resided lawfully in the country.
The charges carry severe potential penalties under federal law. Falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote carries a maximum prison sentence of five years and a $250,000 fine. Voting in a federal election without being a citizen carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. These figures represent statutory maximums rather than imposed sentences, and all defendants retain the presumption of innocence.
Investigations are being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, with the three federal attorney's offices handling prosecution.
