Nigerian Woman Pleads Guilty to Illegal Voting in Five U.S. Federal Elections
- Aug 3
- 1 min read
A 63-year-old Nigerian national, Ada Ngozi Otuka, has pleaded guilty in the United States to unlawfully voting in multiple federal elections and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen during voter registration.
According to U.S. authorities, Otuka, who resides in Katy, Texas, is not an American citizen and was therefore not legally eligible to participate in U.S. elections. Investigators said she nevertheless registered to vote by declaring herself a U.S. citizen.
Federal investigators, including agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and immigration authorities, found that she cast ballots in the 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2024 federal elections.
Officials said concerns about her voter registration emerged in 2025 after authorities determined she was not a U.S. citizen. She was notified that her registration was under review but reportedly did not respond.
Otuka later admitted guilt before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to charges of illegal voting by a non-citizen and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship.
She faces a maximum sentence of six years in prison and could be fined up to $250,000 if convicted on both offences. The court has scheduled her sentencing for November 5.
In a separate case, U.S. prosecutors disclosed that a British citizen, Samuel James Hall, also pleaded guilty earlier this year to unlawfully participating in the 2024 federal election. Hall, who legally resides in Houston but is not a U.S. citizen, admitted to casting a ballot despite being ineligible to vote.
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