Stolen Identity Fuels 2024 Ballot Shock

Man filling out ballot at voting booth — Photo: Rob Crandall / Shutterstock

A Colombian woman living illegally in Boston stole an American citizen’s identity for more than 20 years, then used it to vote in the 2024 presidential election and collect over $400,000 in federal benefits.

Story Snapshot

Federal prosecutors say Orovio-Hernandez used a Puerto Rico-born citizen’s name, birth date and Social Security number for two decades.
She voted in the November 2024 presidential election in Boston and obtained a Massachusetts REAL ID under the fake identity.
She was sentenced to federal prison after conviction on identity theft, identity fraud and illegal voting charges.
A similar case in Jacksonville, Florida, ended with a Colombian citizen getting three years in prison and removal from the country.
Research shows confirmed noncitizen voting cases remain extremely rare nationwide, even as prosecutions continue.

Two Decades Under a Stolen Name

The Justice Department says Orovio-Hernandez, a Colombian national with no legal status in the United States, lived under a stolen identity for more than 20 years. She used the name, birth date and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico. That stolen identity let her build a life on paper as an American, including getting a Massachusetts REAL ID.

Prosecutors say she filed a fraudulent voter registration in January 2023 using the stolen name. She then cast a ballot in the November 2024 presidential election in Boston. Federal officials say she also improperly received close to $400,000 in federal benefits meant for the real citizen whose identity she had taken.

Sentencing and the Charges She Faced

A federal court in Boston sentenced her after she was convicted on a set of identity theft, identity fraud and illegal voting charges. Fox News reported the case became a rare, documented example that officials point to in the ongoing debate over election security. Federal law makes it a crime to falsely claim U.S. citizenship to vote, carrying fines and prison time.

This is not an isolated case. In Jacksonville, Florida, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Grajales, a 55-year-old Colombian citizen, posed as an American for decades using a stolen name. He voted illegally in the 2020 election. A federal judge sentenced him to three years in prison and ordered him removed from the country.

How Common Is Noncitizen Voting?

These cases raise a bigger question: how often does this actually happen? Research groups that track election data say confirmed noncitizen voting is very rare. A Brennan Center for Justice review of 42 jurisdictions found only about 30 suspected cases out of 23.5 million votes cast, or roughly 0.0001 percent.

Making an example of cases like this is an excellent deterrent.

A Colombian illegal alien who stole an American’s Social Security number, obtained a U.S. passport, and voted in multiple elections has been sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Carlos Felipe… pic.twitter.com/rR2xwxAeWv

— karen Fischer 💄👠 (@karenFischzy8x) August 15, 2026

A separate analysis found Justice Department data showed fewer than 150 alleged noncitizen voting cases nationwide between January 2025 and May 2026, with even fewer convictions. When these cases do happen, they are often tied to serious identity theft or fraud, which is why prosecutors can build strong cases and courts hand down real prison time.

The rarity of confirmed cases does not erase the fact that this happened, and that a real American’s identity was stolen and misused for years. Both sides of the political debate can likely agree on that much: when someone steals a citizen’s identity to vote and collect benefits, the justice system should hold them accountable, regardless of how often it occurs nationwide.