MINNEAPOLIS, 5 October 2026
A Liberian national, Bhator Konah Bryant, aged 61, has been charged in the United States with making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote.
Prosecutors allege that Bryant, a lawful permanent resident, falsely claimed United States citizenship when she registered to vote on 18 October 2024. She faces a single count. She is not accused of casting a ballot.
A federal grand jury in the District of Minnesota returned the indictment on 24 September 2026. Bryant made her initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Elsa M. Bullard on 29 September 2026.
She is one of ten foreign nationals indicted separately in Minnesota on charges of voting illegally or falsely claiming United States citizenship in order to vote or register. All ten are lawful permanent residents. The allegations cover the November 2022 and November 2024 general elections and the Minnesota primary of August 2026. The cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Two other Liberians are among the ten. Alan Barbu Kargbo, aged 48, and Chis Adam Pettiquoi, aged 43, each face one count of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote and one count of voting as an alien. Prosecutors allege that each falsely claimed United States citizenship and voted illegally in Minnesota on 5 November 2024, the date of the last United States presidential election.
The remaining defendants are nationals of Lithuania, Ghana, Germany, Bosnia, Brazil, Canada and South Africa. Each has made an initial appearance in federal court. None has been convicted.
The charge of making a false claim of citizenship in order to vote carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to 250,000 dollars. Voting as an alien is a misdemeanour punishable by up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to 100,000 dollars. United States officials have said that a conviction may also lead to deportation.
Federal law limits voting in federal elections to United States citizens. Lawful permanent residence, commonly known as holding a green card, does not confer that right.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the law is clear: only American citizens may vote in American elections, and enforcing it is fundamental to democracy. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota has warned that people who are not citizens and who attempt to vote will be prosecuted, and that a conviction may affect immigration status.
All ten defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proved guilty. The allegations against Bryant, Kargbo and Pettiquoi remain subject to proceedings in the United States courts.
By A.Ikechukwu
Kargbo, above, Liberian, also arrested and charged.
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