ROCK COUNTY, WI — A 25-year-old Beloit man is facing a federal charge accusing him of voting in the November 2022 election even though he knew he was not a U.S. citizen.
Jesus Javier Jurado Garcia, a Mexican citizen who prosecutors say is living in the country illegally, was charged Sept. 2 with illegally voting as a noncitizen, U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma of the Western District of Wisconsin announced.
According to the criminal information filed in the case, Jurado Garcia voted on Nov. 8, 2022, knowing he was not a citizen.
Prosecutors noted the election was held in part to choose candidates for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, which brings the case under federal jurisdiction.
In announcing the charge, Elgersma said safeguarding federal elections is a core duty of his office and that the case shows its commitment to making sure every ballot cast follows federal law.
"No one is above these obligations," Elgersma said, adding that his office will keep pursuing cases involving unlawful voting.
If convicted, Jurado Garcia faces up to one year in prison. Any sentence would be decided by a federal judge after weighing federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
A criminal information contains only allegations. Jurado Garcia is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
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