Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, an Indian national, got arrested in the US for claiming citizenship to vote in the 2024 presidential polls. He allegedly signed a false certificate in Minnesota on November 5, 2024. If convicted on both counts, he could face up to 10 years in a federal prison.
An Ahmedabad man has been arrested in the United States for allegedly posing as an American citizen to vote in the 2024 presidential election. He could be sentenced to a decade in prison if convicted.
Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari, an Indian national, is accused of falsely affirming his US citizenship on a voter certificate in Minnesota on November 5, 2024, when the country elected Donald Trump its president.
In a release on Friday, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Chaudhari in connection with the case. A federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned a two-count indictment against him on September 10, accusing him of knowingly making a false claim of US citizenship to vote.
According to the indictment, Chaudhari signed a voter signature certificate required under the Minnesota law on election day. The document required voters to swear or affirm that they were US citizens. Prosecutors allege that Chaudhari was not a US citizen but knowingly made the declaration to cast his ballot. The charges are one count of providing false information in voting and another of making a false claim of citizenship to register to vote or vote. Each carries a maximum prison sentence of five years, taking the potential maximum imprisonment to 10 years if he is convicted on both counts. Any sentence would be determined by a federal judge after considering applicable sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued a stern warning against non-citizens attempting to vote in American elections.
"Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation," he said in the Homeland Security release. "Under President Trump's leadership, this administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders," he added.
The case is being investigated by HSI, which works under ICE. Travis Pickard, HSI St Paul's special agent in charge, said voting was a privilege reserved for American citizens and warned against attempts to obtain it through false declarations.