Illegal Alien Sentenced for Fraudulent Voting
On Friday, officials from the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the sentencing of an undocumented individual who falsely claimed to be a naturalized citizen in order to vote in U.S. elections.
Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Grajares, a 55-year-old illegal immigrant from Colombia, has received a three-year federal prison sentence for making false claims on a U.S. passport application, committing aggravated identity theft, misrepresenting his Social Security number, and pretending to be a U.S. citizen to vote.
In addition, Jaramillo Grajares has been issued a deportation order and will be removed from the U.S. after serving his sentence.
U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe commented, “Federal immigration laws safeguard our nation’s borders and the integrity of our government. Those who try to circumvent, exploit, or violate these laws will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”
Prosecutors revealed that Jaramillo Grajares had taken the Social Security numbers of American citizens to obtain U.S. passports. He reportedly used these stolen numbers to assert American citizenship and register to vote when he acquired a Florida driver’s license.
According to records, he continued to vote in the 2020 election and in several prior elections.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated, “This criminal illegal alien from Colombia was just sentenced to three years in federal prison for identity theft and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen. Thanks to his fraud, he was able to obtain a driver’s license and vote in elections.” He emphasized that the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, along with other federal partners, have helped ensure this individual is removed from the community, reinforcing the idea that protecting election integrity is akin to securing national security. “Only Americans should elect America’s leaders,” he added.
Prosecutors also indicated that Jaramillo Grajares had used a stolen Social Security number to marry a woman who had entered the U.S. on a B visitor visa in September 2003. This woman later became a naturalized citizen in August 2017 and divorced him in January 2020.
Following the divorce, Jaramillo Grajares used the stolen Social Security number to leave the U.S. for Colombia, while his ex-wife applied for a fiancé visa under her genuine name. Jaramillo Grajares’ fiancé visa was approved, allowing him to return under his real name, after which he remarried his ex-wife in June 2025 and subsequently applied for a green card.
