Minnesota voter fraud: 10 foreign nationals indicted for illegally voting in state elections

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Ten foreign nationals face federal charges after allegedly casting illegal ballots in Minnesota elections.

Who's charged, what they're accused of

What we know:

A federal grand jury has indicted 10 foreign nationals for allegedly voting illegally in Minnesota elections, with one defendant accused of casting a ballot as recently as this past August's primary.

U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced the indictments on Sept. 24, saying the cases stem from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.

"Voting in American elections is a privilege of American citizenship," said Rosen. "Stealing that privilege is a crime. When, in order to obtain a ballot, a non-citizen swears he or she is a citizen, we will prosecute."

The defendants

Why you should care:

The 10 defendants come from a range of countries and are accused of voting illegally, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register or vote, or both.

Here is a breakdown of each defendant and what they are alleged to have done, according to the indictments:

• Bhator Konah Bryant, 61, a Liberian national, is charged with one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote. She is alleged to have made that false claim when registering to vote on Oct. 18, 2024.
• Edvile Vaidoto Edmunds, 59, a Lithuanian national, is charged with one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. She is alleged to have cast an illegal ballot in Minnesota on Nov. 8, 2022.
• Joshua Frederick Kofi Edzie, 63, a Ghanaian national, faces two counts of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. He is alleged to have voted illegally on Aug. 11, and falsely claimed U.S. citizenship on Oct. 23, 2024 and Aug. 11.
• Alan Barbu Kargbo, 48, a Liberian national, is charged with one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. He is alleged to have done both on Nov. 5, 2024.
• Paul Kras, 78, a German national, is charged with one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. He is alleged to have cast an illegal ballot in Minnesota on Nov. 5, 2024.
• Fadil Rasim Ozegovic, 58, a Bosnian national, is charged with one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. He is alleged to have done both on Nov. 5, 2024.
• Aparecido Donizetti Padovan, 62, a Brazilian national, is charged with one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. He is alleged to have done both on Nov. 5, 2024.
• Chis Adam Pettiquoi, 43, a Liberian national, is charged with one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. He is alleged to have done both on Nov. 5, 2024.
• Christian Liam Schenk, 47, a Canadian national, is charged with one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. He is alleged to have done both on Nov. 5, 2024.
• Hester Sophia Weihmann, 69, a South African national, is charged with one count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting illegally as a non-citizen. She is alleged to have done both on Nov. 5, 2024.

DHS weighs in

What they're saying:

Federal officials were direct in their response to the charges, with Attorney General Todd Blanche pointing to the legal standard at the heart of the cases.

"Today's charges allege that ten foreign nationals committed voter fraud in Minnesota, one voting illegally as recently as this August's primary," said Blanche. "The law is clear, only American citizens may vote in American elections, and enforcing this law is fundamental to our democracy. That should not be a partisan concept."

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin also weighed in, warning that those who vote illegally will face serious consequences.

"Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences, including criminal charges and deportation," said Mullin. "Under President Trump's leadership, this administration will never allow the votes of American citizens to be cancelled out by non-citizens illegally voting in our elections. Only American citizens should be electing American leaders."

What the charges could mean

Dig deeper:

Falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote carries a maximum of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, according to federal prosecutors.

Voting illegally as a noncitizen is a misdemeanor offense and carries a maximum of one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000.