A 28 year-old woman residing in Johnston County has been sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to illegal voting by an alien.
Monday afternoon, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that Patricia Franco-Rodriguez, 28, of Mexico, was sentenced in federal court to a $975 fine and $25 special assessment by United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan after entering a guilty plea to the charge.
According to court records, Franco-Rodriguez, a Mexican citizen, is a lawful permanent resident in the United States and not a citizen of the United States. She is not permitted to vote for candidates for the office of President, Vice President, and House of Representatives. Franco-Rodriguez registered to vote in North Carolina in 2016 by signing a voter registration application on which there was an attestation of United States citizenship.
Federal prosecutors said she voted in Wake County in 2016 General Election. When questioned by Homeland Security agents, she admitted that she voted for all of the positions in the ballot.
The Document Fraud Benefit Task Force led by agents from Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this matter. The investigation as to voter fraud is ongoing.
