US charges 16 in election fraud cases, 3 Pakistani nationals among accused
Synopsis
Weeks before US midterm elections, the Justice Department charged 16 people with election offences spanning illegal voting, double balloting, and citizenship fraud — with three Pakistani nationals among those named. The sweep covers defendants from at least eight countries across multiple election cycles, making it one of the broader federal election-integrity actions in recent memory.
Key Takeaways
The US Justice Department announced charges against 16 individuals for election-related offences on Monday , less than a month before the midterm elections.
Three Pakistani nationals — Jamil Ahmad, 50 , Nighat Jamil, 47 , and Arshed Zuberi, 69 — are among those charged with illegally voting as non-citizens.
Arshed Zuberi allegedly voted in at least six elections in Ohio's Cuyahoga County after registering with false citizenship declarations in 2015 and 2016 .
Forrest Scott Woody of North Carolina was charged with voting twice in the 2024 presidential election — in both North Carolina and Alabama.
Defendants include nationals from Canada, Cuba, Peru, Jamaica, Britain, Portugal, Poland, the Philippines , and the Dominican Republic , alongside Pakistan.
Charges include illegal voting by non-citizens, double voting, casting ballots for deceased persons, and unlawfully procuring citizenship.
The US Justice Department on Monday, 13 October 2025, announced federal election-related charges against 16 individuals across multiple states, with three Pakistani nationals among those indicted — a sweeping enforcement action coming less than a month before Americans head to the polls in crucial congressional midterm elections.
The charges span a range of alleged offences including illegal voting by non-citizens, fraudulent voter registration, false claims of American citizenship, double voting, and casting ballots on behalf of deceased individuals.
The Pakistani Nationals Named
Federal prosecutors identified the three Pakistani nationals as Jamil Ahmad, 50, Nighat Jamil, 47, and Arshed Zuberi, 69. According to the Justice Department, Ahmad and Jamil were charged in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania with voting in the 2024 election despite not being US citizens. Both were reportedly lawful permanent residents at the time they allegedly cast their ballots.
Zuberi, also a lawful permanent resident, faces a criminal complaint in the Northern District of Ohio for allegedly voting illegally in a federal election. Prosecutors allege he registered to vote in September 2015 and August 2016, signing declarations that falsely stated he was a US citizen. Voting records from Ohio's Cuyahoga County Board of Elections indicate he voted in at least six elections, according to the department.
Key Cases Across US States
The broader sweep of cases cuts across several states and nationalities. In New Mexico, Patrick Perea, 62, was indicted on a charge of fraudulent voting in the November 2024 general election. In Alabama, two lawful permanent residents — one from Peru and one from Jamaica — were charged with voting without being American citizens.
Forrest Scott Woody, 68, of North Carolina, was charged with double voting in the 2024 presidential election — allegedly casting one ballot in North Carolina and another in Alabama. In Missouri, Cuban national Andrés Garcia, 64, a lawful permanent resident, faces two counts of illegally voting in federal elections in 2022 and 2024. Prosecutors allege Garcia falsely claimed American citizenship when registering and participated in numerous elections over two decades.
Other Nationalities Implicated
The Justice Department's announcement also covered nationals from Canada, Britain, Portugal, Poland, and the Philippines. In Idaho, Canadian national Stanley Walton, 82, was charged with unlawfully voting in the 2022 general election. In Kentucky, another Canadian lawful permanent resident, Sandra Madeline Watson, 59, faced a similar charge of illegally voting in a federal election.
In New Jersey, Lizabeth Almonte Rosa, 24, a naturalised American citizen originally from the Dominican Republic, was charged with voting while not a citizen and unlawfully procuring citizenship — a dual allegation that adds complexity to the naturalisation review process.
Context and Significance
The announcement arrives at a politically charged moment, with midterm elections weeks away and election integrity a central flashpoint in US political discourse. Notably, the cases span multiple election cycles — 2015 through 2024 — suggesting these were not isolated incidents but the result of sustained investigative work by federal authorities. Critics and civil liberties advocates have historically cautioned that aggressive non-citizen voting prosecutions can have a chilling effect on eligible immigrant communities. The Justice Department has not yet provided a fuller timeline for when these cases will go to trial.
Point of View
Which suggests investigative depth rather than opportunism, but the rollout is inherently political. What is often missed in coverage of such sweeps is that the defendants are overwhelmingly lawful permanent residents — people with deep US ties — not clandestine infiltrators. That distinction matters for the policy debate on immigration and voting rights that will inevitably follow. For India and Pakistan watchers, the naming of three Pakistani nationals in a US federal action will draw diplomatic attention even though the charges are individual criminal matters, not state-sponsored interference.
NationPress
12 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the three Pakistani nationals charged in the US election fraud cases?
The three Pakistani nationals are Jamil Ahmad, 50, Nighat Jamil, 47, and Arshed Zuberi, 69 — all lawful permanent residents. Ahmad and Jamil were charged in Pennsylvania with voting in the 2024 election as non-citizens, while Zuberi was charged in Ohio with voting illegally across at least six elections dating back to 2015.
What offences are the 16 individuals charged with?
The charges include illegal voting by non-citizens, fraudulent voter registration, false claims of American citizenship, double voting, casting ballots on behalf of deceased persons, and unlawfully procuring citizenship. The cases span several states and multiple election cycles from 2015 to 2024.
Why were these charges announced now?
The Justice Department announced the charges less than a month before crucial US congressional midterm elections. While the cases reflect investigations spanning several years, the timing has drawn attention given the heightened political focus on election integrity in the United States.
Which other nationalities are among the defendants?
Beyond the three Pakistani nationals, the defendants include nationals from Canada, Cuba, Peru, Jamaica, Britain, Portugal, Poland, the Philippines, and the Dominican Republic. The cases were filed across states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Mexico, Alabama, North Carolina, Missouri, Idaho, Kentucky, and New Jersey.
What is the legal status of most defendants?
The majority of those charged were lawful permanent residents — green card holders — rather than undocumented immigrants. This is a key detail, as it places the cases in the context of established legal residents who allegedly voted without having obtained full citizenship.
