Four foreign nationals residing in New Jersey have been charged with illegally voting in US federal elections and making false statements in their citizenship applications, authorities announced.
US Attorney Robert Frazer revealed that David Neewilly, 73, of Atlantic County; Jacenth Beadle Exum, 70, of Bergen County; Idan Choresh, 43, of Monmouth County; and Abhinandan Vig, 33, also of Monmouth County, were all resident aliens at the time they registered to vote. Each of them falsely claimed to be a US citizen on voter registration forms, a legal requirement for participation in federal elections.
Details of the Charges
According to the complaints, Neewilly voted in the 2020 and 2024 general elections. Beadle Exum and Vig voted in the 2020 election, while Choresh voted in the 2022 election, which included races for the US House of Representatives. Authorities further allege that after voting, all four later applied for US citizenship using Form N-400 naturalisation applications, in which they swore they had never registered or voted in federal elections.
Official Statements
“This administration will not tolerate aliens who attempt to vote in our elections when they know they are not eligible,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. He added: “As alleged, these green card holders lied in order to register to vote and then lied again to immigration authorities by falsely claiming never to have voted in a federal election.”
FBI Director Kash Patel stated: “Noncitizens voting is a federal crime - period - and while other administrations may have looked the other way in the past, those days are over. We continue to work around the clock with our interagency partners to ensure those who engage in such conduct will not get away with it.”
Specific Charges
- David Neewilly faces charges of voting by an alien and false statements in naturalisation matters.
- Idan Choresh is charged with voting by an alien, unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalisation, and false statements.
- Abhinandan Vig is charged with unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalisation.
- Jacenth Beadle Exum faces two counts of false statements in relation to naturalisation.
The cases underscore the ongoing efforts by federal authorities to enforce election laws and immigration regulations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
