ICE Arrests Alien in New Jersey Who Illegally Voted in Federal Elections

This alien from Slovakia illegally registered to vote and voted in the 2022 elections

WASHINGTON - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested an alien who illegally registered and voted in New Jersey.

On July 1, HSI New Jersey, in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), arrested Marian Charitun, a citizen of Slovakia residing in the United States as a green card holder.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, Charitun registered to vote in New Jersey, falsely declaring that he was a United States citizen, and then voted in the 2022 general election, which included an election for the U.S. House of Representatives. He then went on to apply for U.S. citizenship, filing paperwork with USCIS claiming to have never registered to vote or to have voted in any federal, state, or local elections.

Charitun now faces charges of illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship.

"This alien from Slovakia illegally voted in American elections, and then lied about it when he tried to apply for citizenship," said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "He now faces federal charges of illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements. 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. Only Americans should be electing American leaders."

This HSI-led case was brought under the United States Attorney's Office's Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the U.S. Attorney's Office's Criminal Division.

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