BIRMINGHAM – An illegal immigrant in North Alabama has been arrested in connection with voter fraud and passport fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Northern District office.
A nine-count information filed in U.S. District Court charges Angelica Maria Francisco, 42, most recently of Russellville, with false claims of citizenship in connection with voting, false statements in application for a United States passport, use of a United States passport obtained by false statements, and aggravated identity theft, according to U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Resident Agent in Charge Joseph R. Wysowaty of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Atlanta Resident Office.
“I have been very clear that a top priority of this Office is ensuring only eligible American citizens are voting in Alabama elections,” said Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen. “I want to thank the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Alabama for their diligent efforts investigating and charging this individual.
“We will continue to assist law enforcement in every way possible as they prosecute individuals who vote illegally in Alabama elections to the fullest extent of the law.”
A plea agreement was filed with the information, indicating that Francisco has agreed to plead guilty to all of the charges.on undocumented individual has been charged in connection with her fraudulent assumption of a United States citizen’s identity and her use of that identity to vote in multiple elections and obtain multiple United States passports, a news release said.
According to the information and plea agreement, Francisco assumed the identity of a United States citizen in or around 2011. She used the false identity to obtain a United States passport in 2011 and used it to travel to and from her native country of Guatemala in 2012, 2015, and 2018.
Using the same false identity, Francisco also registered to vote in Alabama in 2016 and voted in the 2016 and 2020 primary and general elections.
And in 2021, Francisco used the same false identity to apply for and receive a renewed passport, which she used to travel to and from Guatemala in 2022.
The court will set a date for Francisco to enter her guilty plea.
DSS investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the East Metro Area Crime Center, and the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
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