Federal prosecutors charge a Washoe County legal permanent resident with illegally voting in Nevada's 2022 election

What happened

A legal permanent resident of Nevada who is a national of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been accused of voting illegally in the 2022 election, the Las Vegas Sun reported Thursday. The Sun based its report on a federal news release.

The resident, Mlebinge Ramadhani, lives in Washoe County. According to the release as described by the Sun, Ramadhani is charged with casting a ballot in the 2022 national election for a U.S. candidate.

The federal charge

One count of voting by an alien

Ramadhani faces a single count of voting by an alien, the Sun reported. A charge is an accusation, not a finding of guilt. The Sun's report does not say how Ramadhani has responded or whether Ramadhani has entered a plea.

Possible penalty

The maximum statutory penalty for the count is one year of imprisonment, a fine of up to $100,000, or both, according to the release cited by the Sun. The report does not say what sentence, if any, prosecutors plan to seek.

What officials said

First Assistant U.S. Attorney

Sigal Chattah, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, said in the release that "every eligible citizen has the right to vote, and no one has the right to corrupt that process through fraudulent means." She added that attempts to undermine elections through criminal conduct would be met with accountability, the Sun reported.

Chattah also said the District of Nevada "will not tolerate any actions that threaten the fairness of our democratic system," according to the Sun. She described the office as committed to protecting the ballot box.

FBI Las Vegas Office

Christopher S. Delzotto, special agent in charge for the FBI Las Vegas Office, said in the release that the FBI places specialized election-crimes coordinators in all of its field offices to protect the electoral process. "No one is above the law - justice will find you," he said, according to the Sun.

Who is eligible, according to the release

The case centers on voter eligibility. Ramadhani is described as a Democratic Republic of Congo national and a legal permanent resident in Nevada. Chattah's statement stressed that the right to vote belongs to eligible citizens.

The Sun's report ties the charge to a single election, the 2022 national election. It describes one defendant and one count, and it does not mention any related cases.

What the report does not say

The Sun's account leaves several questions open. It does not say where in Washoe County Ramadhani voted, how investigators learned of the alleged ballot, when the charge was filed, or whether Ramadhani has an attorney.

The report also does not list any upcoming court dates. For more coverage of voting, campaigns and election law in the state, see our elections section.

What to watch next

• How the federal case against Ramadhani proceeds on the single count of voting by an alien.
• Whether Ramadhani enters a plea or responds to the charge, which the Sun's report did not address.
• The outcome of the pending charge, which carries a maximum of one year in prison, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.