Jamaican Citizen Arrested for Making a False Claim of Citizenship to Register to Vote in the 2024 Presidential Primary Election

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Jacqueline Dianne Wallace, 52, a Jamaican citizen, has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint and charged with unlawfully making a false claim of citizenship in order to register to vote in the 2024 Florida presidential primary election. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge after Wallace made her initial appearance in federal court in Tallahassee. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided valuable assistance to the investigation.

According to the criminal complaint, Wallace entered the United States in December 2010 on a six month B-2 tourism visa and did not return to Jamaica as required. In January 2024, Wallace registered to vote in federal elections using an online system that required certification of United States citizenship, which she did not have. In August 2024, Wallace cast a ballot in the federal 2024 Florida presidential primary.

Wallace was arrested by agents with Homeland Security Investigations and investigators of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and will be subject to removal from the United States.

HSI Tampa and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Office of Executive Investigations, Election Crime Unit investigated the case. They were assisted by the Florida Department of State, Office of Election Crimes and Security; the Bay County Sheriff’s Office; the Bay County Supervisor of Elections; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Assistant United States Attorney Eric Welch is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

A criminal complaint is an allegation by a sworn affiant that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to due process, to include a fair trial, during which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

Protecting the integrity of the immigration process is a priority for USCIS. To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.

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