A 56-year-old Nigerian national and lawful permanent resident in Massachusetts has been arrested and charged by the United States Department of Justice for allegedly voting in two federal elections despite not being a U.S. citizen.

Gladys Adaeze Okafor, who resides in Lynn, Massachusetts, is accused of unlawfully voting in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential primary after allegedly falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen on voter registration documents.

According to federal prosecutors, Okafor was born in Aba, Nigeria, and obtained lawful permanent resident status in December 2022. She is not a U.S. citizen and, prosecutors said, has never applied for U.S. citizenship.

Authorities allege that in July 2022, Okafor submitted a voter registration card to the City of Lynn and signed a certification stating that she was a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.

She was subsequently registered to vote and allegedly cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm elections.

Prosecutors further allege that Okafor submitted another voter registration form in October 2023, again checking a box indicating that she was a U.S. citizen and signing the required certification.

She allegedly went on to vote in the 2024 presidential primary election.

The Justice Department said Okafor was arrested on September 16, 2026, and was scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston.

She is charged with unlawful voting as an alien, an offense that carries a potential sentence of up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000 under federal law. Prosecutors also said she could face deportation if convicted and after completion of any sentence imposed.

The charges come amid a series of federal investigations into alleged noncitizen voting and false citizenship claims across the United States.

Earlier this week, federal prosecutors in Texas announced charges against seven noncitizens accused of unlawfully voting in federal elections or falsely claiming U.S. citizenship. The cases involve nationals from Nigeria, Mexico, India and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Federal authorities have emphasized that the allegations in the cases remain subject to judicial proceedings and that defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.