Nigerian Green Card Holder Charged with Illegal Voting in Massachusetts

BOSTON — A 56-year-old Nigerian woman living in Lynn has been arrested and charged with casting illegal ballots in two federal elections after falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on voter registration forms, federal authorities announced Wednesday.

Gladys Adaeze Okafor, a lawful permanent resident who has never applied for American citizenship, was taken into custody Wednesday morning and later arraigned in U.S. District Court in Boston’s Seaport district. She was released on her own recognizance after waiving a probable cause hearing.

U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, announced the charge of unlawful voting as an alien. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit.

According to charging documents, Okafor was born in Aba, Abia State, Nigeria. She obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022 but remains a Nigerian citizen.

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Investigators say her first alleged offense occurred months before she received her green card.

In July 2022, Okafor allegedly submitted a mail-in voter registration form to the City of Lynn. On the form, she signed a certification under penalty of perjury declaring, “I AM A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES.” Lynn election officials registered her, and records show she voted in the November 2022 midterm elections, which included federal contests.

Prosecutors further allege that in October 2023, after securing permanent residency, Okafor completed a second Massachusetts voter registration form. This time she checked the “U.S. Citizen” box and again signed the citizenship certification under penalty of perjury. She then allegedly voted in the March 5, 2024, presidential primary.

Homeland Security Investigations agents identified Okafor during a review of local voter rolls aimed at detecting non-citizen registration and voting. Signatures on both registration forms matched those she provided on immigration documents, and personal details such as her Lynn address and post office box aligned with federal records. During a recorded interview with an HSI special agent on September 10, Okafor confirmed she had voted in both elections.

Federal law reserves the right to vote in federal elections exclusively to U.S. citizens. The charge of unlawful voting by an alien carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000. Upon completion of any sentence, Okafor may also face deportation proceedings.

The case forms part of a broader enforcement effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. In March 2026, Foley established a Benefit & Voter Fraud Team to address what she described as widespread fraud uncovered across the state. HSI continues to examine voter rolls in multiple Massachusetts communities for similar violations.

Okafor is presumed innocent until proven guilty. A federal judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.