Feds indict 10 accused noncitizens for voter fraud

A federal grand jury indicted seven men and three women separately for committing voter fraud in Minnesota, the Justice Department said Wednesday. The defendants were noncitizens whose illegal votes affected elections from 2022 to the August 2026 primary election, officials said. They are presumed legally innocent until proven guilty in court. All were lawful permanent residents of the United States.

If convicted of falsely claiming citizenship, the defendants could spend up to five years in prison and owe fines up to $250,000 per person. Voting by aliens carries a maximum penalty of one year of imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and a fine up to $100,000, according to the Justice Department. The suspects could also be deported, according to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Who are the defendants?

• Bhator Konah Bryant, 61, a Liberian citizen charged with one count of falsely claiming citizenship in order to vote in 2024.

• Alan Barbu Kargbo, 48, a Liberian citizen charged with one count of falsely claiming citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien in 2024.

• Chris Adam Pettiquoi, 43, a Liberian citizen charged with one count of falsely claiming citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien, both in 2024.

• Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, 59, a Lithuanian citizen charged with one count of voting as an alien in the 2022 general election.

• Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, 63, a Ghanaian citizen charged with two counts of falsely claiming citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien in an August 2026 election.

• Paul Kras, 78, a German citizen charged with one count of voting illegally as an alien in 2024.

• Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, 58, a Bosnian citizen charged with one count of falsely claiming citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien, both in 2024.

• Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, 62, a Brazilian citizen charged with one count of falsely claiming citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien, both occurring in 2024.

• Christian Liam Schenk, 47, a Canadian citizen charged with one count of falsely claiming citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien in 2024.

• Hester Sophia Weihmann, 69, a South African citizen charged with one count of falsely claiming citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting by alien, both in 2024.