Charges Filed Against Canadian Citizens for Illegal Voting in North Carolina

This week, a judge in North Carolina has filed charges against Canadian citizens related to their involvement in the 2022 and 2024 elections by registering and voting.

The accusations involve felony charges which could lead to prison time if convicted.

According to the indictment from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Dennis Bouchard of the Wilmington area is alleged to have falsely claimed U.S. citizenship, thereby voting in federal elections.

This case marks the latest in a long history of reported illegal voting by Bouchard in elections across Hanover and Pender Counties over the past two decades, prosecutors noted.

“Every time a non-citizen votes illegally in North Carolina, it deprives legitimate citizens of their votes,” commented U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle in a statement released by his office. “If the records are accurate, this Canadian citizen has participated in voting in New Hanover and Pender County for the last 20 years. We intend to prove his illegal actions in court and bring it to an end.”

“All Americans have the right to vote without interference in the democratic process. We value our partnership with the North Carolina Election Commission and their commitment to uphold fair elections in our state,” added James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI special agent in charge of North Carolina.

Prosecutors report that Bouchard has been living in the U.S. since the 1960s, having moved here as a child, yet he never attained U.S. citizenship.

He faces four counts related to making false statements and violating federal election laws. If convicted, he could receive a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count.

When asked about why previous violations were not charged, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that some federal felonies have a five-year statute of limitations.