Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Tuesday that six individuals have been indicted for engaging in illegal voting in past elections.
Ohio’s Auditor, Dave Yost, emphasized the sanctity of the right to vote, stating that it is a sacred privilege. He made it clear that voting in the United States is strictly reserved for U.S. citizens, and anyone who is not a citizen and attempts to vote will face legal consequences, regardless of their understanding of the rules.
Last week, special prosecutors from Yost’s office brought forward seven cases to grand juries.
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- Ramesh Patel , 68, of North Royalton, was indicted in Cuyahoga County on one count of illegal voting. Patel lacked U.S. citizenship when he allegedly voted in 2014, 2016 and 2018. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 1.
- Lorinda Miller , 78, of Hudson, was indicted in Summit County on two counts of illegal voting. Miller is a legal permanent resident but lacked U.S. citizenship when she allegedly voted in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
- Nicholas Fontaine , 32, of Kent, was indicted in Portage County on one count of illegal voting. Fontaine is a legal permanent resident but lacked U.S. citizenship when he allegedly voted in 2016 and 2018. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 1 p.m. on Dec. 2.
- Ahmed Aden , 35, of Columbus, was indicted in Franklin County on one count of illegal voting. Aden is a legal permanent resident but lacked U.S. citizenship when he allegedly voted in 2008 and 2020.
- Van Thuy Cooper , 53, of Hilliard, was indicted in Franklin County on one count of illegal voting. Cooper is a legal permanent resident but lacked U.S. citizenship when she allegedly voted in 2016 and 2020.
- Maria Dearaujo , 62, of Columbus, was indicted in Franklin County on one count of illegal voting. Dearaujo is a lawful resident but lacked U.S. citizenship when she allegedly voted in 2016 and 2018.
Engaging in illegal voting is considered a serious offense, punishable as a fourth-degree felony.
According to Yost, irregularities like this are not common and only a few cases have been identified. He reassures the public that they can have confidence in the upcoming election, as the laws are being enforced and will continue to be enforced.
A seventh case was brought before a Lorain County grand jury, who decided not to indict the individual. The person in question, a student at Oberlin College, was accused of voting in both Ohio and Washington in 2018.
According to Ohio Revised Code 109.95, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office has the authority to start a criminal proceeding for election fraud if there is a violation of Ohio law related to voting, an initiative or referendum petition process, or the conducting of an election. They can do this by presenting evidence of the violation to the county prosecutor. If the county prosecutor does not take action within a reasonable amount of time, the Attorney General’s Office can proceed with the prosecution themselves.
The county prosecutor’s office, which has jurisdiction in the area where the alleged activity took place, previously handled each case.
