Canadian Alien Charged with Illegal Voting

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A grand jury returned an indictment charging Sandra Madeline Watson, 59, of Louisville, with illegal voting by an alien in a federal election. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

According to the indictment, Watson, a Canadian alien, voted in an election to select a candidate for the office of president, vice president, member of the Senate, or member of the House of Representatives, despite knowing she was not a U.S. citizen.

Watson made her initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of up to one year in prison. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, with assistance from USCIS.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.