An illegal immigrant who stole another person’s identity to obtain a U.S. passport, register to vote, and cast ballots in multiple elections has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Angelica Maria Francisco, a 42-year-old Guatemalan national, had been living under the identity of a U.S. citizen since at least 2011.

Using the stolen identity, she registered to vote in 2016, participated in both the primary and general elections that year, and voted again in the 2020 elections.

Francisco also exploited the stolen identity to apply for a U.S. passport in 2011 and successfully renewed it in 2021. The passport facilitated her travel to Guatemala at least four times between 2012 and 2022.

“This sentence sends a clear message that any attempts by non-U.S. citizens to vote in the Northern District of Alabama are unacceptable and will result in serious consequences,” U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona said Thursday.

Court documents revealed that Francisco assumed the identity of an American woman using her name, Social Security card, and birth certificate. Her lawyer, Lucas Snodgrass, argued for leniency, describing Francisco as someone who has lived in the U.S. since childhood and considers it her home.

“She has lived in this community and is a mother of six children, including two young children,” Snodgrass stated in a filing. He requested house arrest, emphasizing her status as a first-time nonviolent offender who is remorseful for her actions.

“Her otherwise law-abiding life demonstrates that her actions were an isolated lapse in judgment rather than a pattern of criminal behavior,” Snodgrass said.

Francisco’s case stands out as a rare example of an illegal immigrant voting in U.S. elections. Voting-rights groups often dismiss noncitizen voting as a myth, but cases like this challenge that assertion.

Most noncitizen voting incidents typically involve legal visa holders or permanent residents, not illegal immigrants. These individuals often report being misled into registering while applying for a driver’s license or accessing government services. Some claim they felt entitled to vote, while others say they were encouraged by government officials to sign up.

A Gallup Poll released in October of 2024 found that 84% of respondents favor requiring a photo ID, while 83% support providing proof of citizenship when registering to vote for the first time. The poll noted that voter attitudes toward these issues were similar to those seen in its July 2022 poll.

Among the states that don’t require voters to present ID is California, where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in September signed legislation banning local governments from requiring voters to present an ID at the ballot box.

Do you think more needs to be done to stop voter fraud in America? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!