Non-Citizen Valley Man Charged In Alleged Voter Fraud In LA

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Honduran national living in the San Fernando Valley pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges of fraudulently registering to vote in United States elections.

Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores, 30, of Winnetka, is charged with felony counts of false claim to U.S. citizenship and fraudulent voter registration.

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Trial was tentatively set for Nov. 17 in Los Angeles federal court.

Rivera was born in Honduras, entered the United States in 2002, and is present in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident but is not a U.S. citizen, according to an affidavit filed in the case.

In February, Rivera disrupted an immigration law enforcement operation at the federal building in Camarillo, was issued a misdemeanor citation, to which he pleaded guilty, and was placed on probation, prosecutors said.

Court papers show that in April, Rivera sent a federal agent a series of text messages, which read in part, "Your (sic) not the good guy ... I can't wait until the midterms you don't have qualified immunity then we can start and indict all you guys one bye one."

Rivera continued texting the federal agent until July, a month before he was arrested, prosecutors believe.

Law enforcement investigated and allegedly discovered an online voter registration record in the name of "Darwin Rivera" associated with Rivera's Winnetka address. A certified voter registration application number, registration receipt and a signature image from the California Secretary of State, Elections Division, was also obtained by authorities, according to the Justice Department.

Under the application question of "Did someone help you fill out this form" the answer "no" was checked, and a check mark was provided next to the application wording "I am a U.S. citizen," prosecutors said.

Following a declaration under penalty of perjury warning, the voter registration application deadline was dated Nov. 4, 2025. The birthplace listed under Rivera's name was "United States of America."

Officials said there is no record of Rivera seeking or obtaining U.S. citizenship. Rivera also has not voted in an election.

If convicted, Rivera would face up to five years in federal prison on each charge, prosecutors said.

"Non-citizens who commit fraud so they can vote in American elections do so in violation of federal law and should expect to be prosecuted," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement. "Let this criminal complaint serve as a reminder that the Justice Department stands ready to enforce the laws Congress enacted to ensure only American citizens vote in federal elections."

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