Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Voting in Presidential Primary Election

Tallahassee, Florida - Jacqueline Wallace, 53, a Jamaican national, pleaded guilty in federal court to voting by an alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

U.S. Attorney Heekin said: "Protecting the integrity of our elections not negotiable. Registering to vote and casting a ballot in our elections are actions that we must ensure are taken only by eligible U.S. citizens. My office will aggressively prosecute cases like this to preserve the security of our elections."

Court documents reflect that the defendant - a Jamaican national who had not been naturalized as a United States citizen - requested a mail-in ballot in July 2024, which was mailed to her address. The defendant then completed her ballot and submitted it by U.S. mail. Wallace's handwritten name and address appeared on the front of her ballot envelope, and her signature, personal information, and date appeared on the back. The defendant's ballot was received on August 12, 2024, and her vote in the Presidential Primary election was registered and cast on August 20, 2024. At the time she submitted her ballot, the defendant knew she was not a United States citizen.

The case was investigated by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch is prosecuting the case.

Wallace's sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2026, at 11:00 am at the United States District Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.