The three arrested persons are Cary Ann Patterson, 59, a citizen of the United Kingdom; Arshed Zuberi, 69, a Pakistani national; and Eliza M. Moss, 63, a citizen of the Philippines.

In the Southern District of Ohio, a criminal complaint was filed charging Cary Ann Patterson, 59, a citizen of the United Kingdom with lawful permanent resident status, with illegally voting in a federal election as an alien. Voters in federal elections must be U.S. citizens, and the complaint alleges that Patterson voted on Nov. 5, 2024. According to court documents, in 2005, the Gallia County Board of Elections received a voter registration card for Patterson in which “Yes” was marked in response to the question, “Are you a U.S. citizen?” Based on Gallia County Board of Elections records, Patterson allegedly voted in at least 10 elections as a non-citizen.

In the Northern District of Ohio, Arshed Zuberi, 69, a Pakistani national with lawful permanent resident status, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally voting in a federal election as an alien. He allegedly registered to vote in September 2015 and August 2016. On voter registration forms, Zuberi’s signature appears next to the declaration “I declare under penalty of election falsification I am a citizen of the United States.” Voting records from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections show that he voted in at least six elections.

A criminal complaint has also been filed in the Northern District of Ohio charging Eliza M. Moss, 63, a citizen of the Philippines with lawful permanent resident status, with unlawfully voting in a federal election as an alien. According to state of Ohio and Ashtabula County voting records, Moss registered to vote in September 2004 and in February 2023. On voter registration forms, her signature appears next to the declaration “I declare under penalty of election falsification I am a citizen of the United States.” Moss allegedly voted in several primary and general elections. According to the criminal complaint, Moss told investigators that the person who helped fill out her registration told her that she could vote despite not being a citizen.

Unlawfully voting in a federal election as an alien is punishable by up to 12 months in prison.

Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; David M. Toepfer, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy for the Southern District of Ohio and Assistant United States Attorney Robert Corts for the Northern District of Ohio are representing the United States in these cases.

However, criminal complaints merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Responding to the arrests, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said, “I’m grateful to see justice finally being pursued in these cases, thanks to the unprecedented collaboration between my office and the federal government. I’ve worked closely with federal law enforcement to protect the integrity of our voter rolls, and especially in upholding Ohio’s citizenship voting requirement.

“A single case of voter fraud can spoil the outcome of an entire election, and it will not be tolerated on my watch. This is precisely why my office uses federal law enforcement resources and data to review Ohio’s voter registration database for accuracy and legal compliance. Those efforts are paying off, and Ohio is once again proving to be the national gold standard in election integrity and administration.”

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