COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today that six individuals have been indicted for illegal voting in previous elections.
“The right to vote is sacred,” Yost stated. “If you’re not a U.S. citizen, it’s illegal to vote—whether you thought you were allowed to or not, you will be held accountable.”
The indictments follow cases presented to grand juries by special prosecutors from Yost’s office last week. Among those indicted are:
- Ramesh Patel, 68, of North Royalton, indicted in Cuyahoga County on one count of illegal voting for voting in 2014, 2016, and 2018 while lacking U.S. citizenship. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 8:30 a.m. on November 1.
- Lorinda Miller, 78, of Hudson, indicted in Summit County on two counts of illegal voting for voting in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 while being a legal permanent resident without U.S. citizenship.
- Nicholas Fontaine, 32, of Kent, indicted in Portage County on one count of illegal voting for voting in 2016 and 2018 while also lacking U.S. citizenship. He will be arraigned at 1 p.m. on December 2.
- Ahmed Aden, 35, of Columbus, indicted in Franklin County on one count of illegal voting for voting in 2008 and 2020 without U.S. citizenship.
- Van Thuy Cooper, 53, of Hilliard, indicted in Franklin County on one count of illegal voting for voting in 2016 and 2020 while lacking U.S. citizenship.
- Maria Dearaujo, 62, of Columbus, indicted in Franklin County on one count of illegal voting for voting in 2016 and 2018 as a lawful resident without U.S. citizenship.
Illegal voting is classified as a fourth-degree felony in Ohio.
Yost emphasized that while these irregularities are rare, the state is committed to upholding election laws. “We should all be confident in the upcoming election, knowing that the laws are being enforced and will continue to be enforced,” he said.
In a related matter, a seventh case presented to a Lorain County grand jury resulted in a “no-bill” decision, meaning no charges were filed against the individual, an Oberlin college student accused of voting in both Ohio and Washington in 2018.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is continuing its efforts to investigate and address voter fraud, having made additional referrals to county prosecutors. Each of the cases was previously referred to the appropriate county prosecutor for action.
As always, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
