A 56-year-old Nigerian woman, Gladys Adaeze Okafor, has been arrested and charged in the United States with unlawfully voting in the 2022 midterm elections after allegedly falsely claiming to be a US citizen.
The US Attorney for Massachusetts, Leah B. Foley, and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, announced the charge in a statement issued by the Department of Justice on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
Okafor, who resides in Lynn, Massachusetts, is also accused of voting in the 2024 presidential primary election.
She was arrested on Wednesday morning and is expected to appear in federal court in Boston the same day.
According to court documents, Okafor is a Nigerian citizen born in Aba, Abia State. She obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but is not a US citizen and has not applied for citizenship.
In July 2022, Okafor allegedly submitted a voter registration form and signed a certification stating, “I AM A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES … Signed under penalty of perjury.”
The City of Lynn subsequently registered her to vote, and she allegedly voted in the 2022 midterm elections.
In October 2023, she allegedly submitted another voter registration form, again checking the “U.S. Citizen” box and signing the citizenship certification. She is accused of voting in the 2024 presidential primary election.
The charge of unlawful voting as an alien carries a possible sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $100,000.
Okafor could also face deportation after completing any sentence imposed.
Any sentence would be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account the US Sentencing Guidelines and applicable laws.
Assistant US Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
