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Indian green card holder charged with illegal voting in NJ
The charges stem from a wider investigation into illegal voting and naturalization fraud.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sat, 02, May 2026
- 14:00 EDT
- 43
Representative image / Unsplash
An Indian-origin green card holder from Monmouth County was charged with illegally voting in a U.S. federal election and unlawfully procuring citizenship, according to federal prosecutors.
Abhinandan Vig, 33, is among four non-citizens charged in separate criminal complaints alleging illegal voting and false statements during the naturalization process, the office of U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said.
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According to the complaint, Vig, who was not a U.S. citizen at the time, registered to vote in New Jersey and falsely certified that he was eligible to do so. He is alleged to have cast a ballot in the 2020 general election, which included the presidential race.
Prosecutors further allege that after voting, Vig applied for U.S. citizenship and falsely stated under oath that he had never registered or voted in a federal election.
Vig has been charged with procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully under 18 U.S.C. 1425(a). He made his initial appearance on May 1 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.
“As alleged, the defendants broke federal law by voting in elections they were not eligible to participate in, and then made false statements under oath to conceal that conduct,” Frazer said in a statement.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration “will not tolerate aliens who attempt to vote in our elections when they know they are not eligible.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said noncitizen voting is a federal crime and that authorities would continue enforcement efforts.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, among others, as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Election Integrity Task Force.
If convicted, Vig faces up to 10 years in prison on the charge.
The charges are allegations, and Vig is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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