BOSTON — A 56-year-old Nigerian national living in Lynn, Massachusetts, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully voting as a non-citizen after allegedly falsely claiming U.S. citizenship on voter registration forms and casting ballots in two federal elections.
Gladys Adaeze Okafor was arrested Wednesday morning, September 16, 2026, and charged with unlawfully voting as an alien.
She was scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston later that day. She was arraigned and released on her own recognizance after waiving a probable cause hearing, according to court reports.
According to charging documents released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Okafor was born in Aba, Nigeria, and remains a Nigerian citizen. She obtained lawful permanent resident status (a green card) in December 2022 but is not a U.S. citizen and has never applied for citizenship.
Prosecutors allege the offenses began before she received permanent resident status. In July 2022, Okafor submitted a voter registration card to the City of Lynn, signing a certification that stated: “I AM A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES … Signed under penalty of perjury.” Lynn election officials subsequently registered her to vote. She is accused of voting in the November 2022 midterm elections.
Authorities further allege that in October 2023, Okafor submitted a second voter registration form, this time checking the “U.S. Citizen” box and again signing under the citizenship certification. She is accused of voting in the 2024 presidential primary election.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents identified the case while reviewing local voting rolls in Massachusetts communities as part of efforts to detect non-citizen registration and voting in federal elections.
In a recorded interview with an HSI special agent, Okafor reportedly acknowledged voting in the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential primary, according to charging documents cited in media reports. Signatures on the voter forms allegedly matched those on her immigration documents.
The charge of unlawful voting as an alien carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000. If convicted, Okafor could also face deportation after serving any sentence. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter. The announcement is part of broader efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including a Benefit & Voter Fraud Team established earlier in 2026 to address fraud concerns in Massachusetts.
The details in the charging documents are allegations. Okafor is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
About the Author
