Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces Arrests, Charges Against 20 Defendants in Statewide Election Integrity Operation

Courtesy of the Office of the Attorney General

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-Attorney General James Uthmeier, joined by Governor Ron DeSantis, announced that 20 defendants are being arrested and prosecuted for voting fraud in a statewide election-integrity operation targeting illegal voting in Florida elections, including the 2024 General Election. Since Governor DeSantis signed SB 524, which established the Office of Election Crimes at the Department of State, there have been over 100 election fraud-related prosecutions, with over 50% of those prosecutions beginning since AG Uthmeier took office.

"Florida will not allow anyone to steal the vote of Americans at the ballot box," said Attorney General James Uthmeier. "These defendants swore they were qualified electors, cast ballots in our elections, and later confirmed they were never eligible to vote. Thanks to our Statewide Prosecutors, FDLE, the Florida Department of State, and USCIS, they are being held accountable."

"We have prioritized election integrity in Florida, and we have zero tolerance for voter fraud," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "I was proud to announce that the newly formed Association of State and Local Election Officials will bring together election officials from across the country to improve election administration and restore public trust in our electoral systems. Under the leadership of Cord Byrd and James Uthmeier, we are committed to helping other states replicate the successes we have seen in Florida."

"Every legal vote cast deserves to be defended, which is why all credible allegations of election fraud demand a thorough review," said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. "The Office of Election Crimes and Security continues to investigate these potential crimes with rigor and impartiality ensuring voters their trust is well-placed."

"Florida's elections laws are not mere suggestions," said Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay. "The Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution will hold these defendants accountable and remains ready to prosecute anyone else who chooses to violate our election laws."

"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is leveraging its expertise to aid local investigations of aliens residing in the United States," said USCIS Spokesman Zach Kahler. "Every day, the dedicated men and women of USCIS are working to root out immigration fraud wherever it occurs, hold bad actors accountable, and to help protect the rights of American citizens."

The investigations began with referrals from the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and county Supervisors of Elections after immigration-status reviews, including checks of federal databases, flagged registered voters who were not United States citizens. FDLE investigators obtained voter-registration applications, poll-book signatures or vote-by-mail certificates, and post-election ineligibility notices to verify the crime had been committed. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services was instrumental in confirming non-citizen status.

The Office of Statewide Prosecution, working with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is charging 16 non-citizens who registered by falsely claiming United States citizenship and then voted, and 4 convicted felons who registered and voted while still on probation.

The defendants arrested in this operation so far include:

Astrid Shamatu Navarrete Quintana, 24, of Fort Myers (Lee County), a Mexican national and lawful permanent resident since March 31, 2023. She registered on August 19, 2024, falsely affirming she was a United States citizen, and voted in person on November 5, 2024. She later signed a Citizenship Acknowledgement Form admitting she is not a United States citizen. She is charged with Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting and False Swearing.

Selvin Uton Whilby, 74, of Tampa (Hillsborough County), a Jamaican national and lawful permanent resident since March 1, 1989. He registered in 2008, falsely affirming citizenship, and voted by mail in the 2024 Primary and 2024 General Elections as part of a vote-by-mail history dating to 2008. He later signed a form agreeing he is not a United States citizen. He is charged with two counts of Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting.

Cyntia Vanessa Canales, 62, of Ocala (Marion County), a Chilean national and lawful permanent resident. She registered in Marion County in 2012 and again in 2022, each time falsely affirming she was a United States citizen and listing her place of birth as Florida. She voted early in person on October 27, 2024. She is charged with Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting.

Craig William Smith, 69, of Ocala (Marion County), a Bahamian national and lawful permanent resident since March 5, 1978. He registered on March 21, 2002, falsely affirming he was a United States citizen, and voted in the 2024 Primary and 2024 General Elections as part of a voting history dating to 2006. He later signed a Citizenship Acknowledgement Form admitting he is not a United States citizen. He is charged with two counts of Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting.

Tracey Sabrina Jones, 49, of Lakeland (Polk County), a United Kingdom national and lawful permanent resident since April 25, 1984. She registered in 1995, falsely affirming citizenship, and voted early in person on October 26, 2024. She later signed a form admitting she is ineligible to register to vote. She is charged with Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting.

Kadian Gabrielle Amai Johnson, 29, of Lehigh Acres (Lee County), a Jamaican national and lawful permanent resident since April 22, 2018. She registered on September 30, 2024, falsely affirming citizenship, and voted in person on November 5, 2024. She later signed a Citizenship Acknowledgement Form admitting she is not a United States citizen. She is charged with Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting and False Swearing.

Mei-Lin Johnston, 57, of Okeechobee (Okeechobee County), an Indonesian national and lawful permanent resident since May 10, 2022. She registered on November 8, 2022, falsely affirming she was a United States citizen, and voted in person on October 24, 2024. She later signed a form admitting she is not a United States citizen. She is charged with Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting.

Alejandro Garcia Villegas, 65, of Lake City (Columbia County), a Mexican national and lawful permanent resident since March 16, 2021. He registered on September 20, 2022, falsely affirming he was a United States citizen, and voted early in person on October 30, 2024. He later agreed in writing that he is not a United States citizen. He is charged with Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting.

Manon M. Raux, 62, of Naples (Collier County), a Canadian national and lawful permanent resident since August 16, 1991. She registered on September 18, 2024, falsely affirming citizenship, and voted early in person on October 29, 2024. She later signed a form admitting she is ineligible to register to vote. She is charged with Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting and False Swearing.

James Mark Hollingsworth, 62, of Lake Suzy (DeSoto County), a Canadian national and lawful permanent resident since October 29, 1967. He registered through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in 2021 and voted by mail in both the 2024 Primary and 2024 General Elections. After receiving a non-citizen notice, he emailed the Supervisor of Elections acknowledging he is a permanent resident and stating he had been voting in Florida. He is charged with two counts of Unqualified Noncitizen Electors Willfully Voting and two counts of False Swearing.

Donta Ta White, 44, of Tampa (Hillsborough County), a convicted felon serving a 10-year probation sentence imposed May 25, 2022, that does not terminate until May 24, 2032. After signing a Florida Department of Corrections form warning that it is unlawful to register or vote before completing all terms of his sentence, White submitted two October 2024 voter-registration applications falsely affirming that his voting rights had been restored and voted early in person on October 25, 2024. He is charged with Unqualified Electors Willfully Voting and two counts of False Swearing.

Giorgio Dominique Mucelli, 66, of Melbourne (Brevard County), a Canadian citizen and lawful permanent resident who is charged with Voting by a Non-Citizen Elector and False Affirmation after voting in seven General Elections from 2004 through 2024, including the 2024 General Election.

Each charged offense is a third-degree felony. If convicted as charged, most of the defendants face up to 10 years in the Florida Department of Corrections. Hollingsworth faces up to 20 years, and White faces up to 15 years.

The cases will be prosecuted by the Office of Statewide Prosecution, with cases spanning across Brevard, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Lee, Marion, Okeechobee, and Polk Counties.

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Additional charges and arrests are expected.

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