Who is Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari? US charges Indian over alleged false citizenship claim to vote in 2024
The US has charged an Indian national, Mukeshkumar Somabhai Chaudhari with allegedly falsely claiming to be a US citizen in order to vote in the 2024 general election, the Justice Department said on Thursday.
Indian national charged with falsely claiming US citizenship to vote in 2024 election. (Representational image) (Unsplash)A federal grand jury in Minnesota returned a two-count indictment against Chaudhari, accusing him of knowingly making a false claim of US citizenship to vote in the November 5, 2024 election.
According to the US Department of Justice, the charges relate to a voter certificate Chaudhari allegedly signed on election day.
The DOJ identifies Chaudhari as an Indian national. The department did not provide further details about his age, occupation, immigration status or how long he had been in the US in its September 10 announcement.
According to the indictment, Chaudhari signed a Minnesota voter signature certificate required to cast a ballot in the 2024 general election.
The certificate required voters to swear or affirm that they were US citizens. Prosecutors allege that Chaudhari was not a US citizen and knowingly made the false claim in order to vote.
Chaudhari faces two federal charges. The first alleges that he provided false information in voting. The second accuses him of making a false claim of US citizenship to register or vote.
If convicted, Chaudhari faces a maximum possible penalty of five years in prison on each count. Any sentence would be determined by a federal district judge after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said, “The right to vote is a sacred privilege of American citizenship.”
“The Department will hold accountable those who knowingly make false claims of citizenship in order to vote,” Dhillon said.
The DOJ said the case reflects its focus on protecting the integrity of elections and ensuring that only eligible citizens cast ballots.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case with assistance from the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office. DOJ trial attorneys Flavio Abreu and William Rubens of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting.
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