An Indian national and an Indian-origin man from Malaysia are among 12 people to have been charged by federal prosecutors with illegally voting in the 2016 US presidential elections. All 12 falsely claimed American citizenship.
58-year-old Baijoo Pottakulath Thomas, an Indian national and 57-year-old Roob Kaur Atar-Singh, an Indian-origin man from Malaysia, were charged in US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina last month, reported Indian news agency PTI.
Thomas faces a maximum term of one-year imprisonment and a fine of up to USD 100,000 if convicted, according to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Atar-Singh was charged by a federal grand jury for falsely claiming US citizenship or making false statements on voter registration applications, and with misdemeanor charges of unlawfully casting ballots in the 2016 presidential elections.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of six years in federal prison, a USD 350,000 fine, and a term of supervised release, ICE said.
These charges are the latest indictments in an ongoing years-long federal criminal investigation being conducted by federal agencies.