A Bahamian national has been indicted in Tampa, Florida, on charges of illegal voting, passport fraud, and making a false claim of United States citizenship to obtain state benefits. The indictment against Rochelle Deborah Johnson, 65, was unsealed by U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. If convicted on all counts, Johnson could face up to 35 years in federal prison.
The indictment alleges that Johnson was born in The Bahamas and is not a U.S. citizen. Authorities say that in 2016 she used a passport obtained through a false claim of U.S. citizenship to take an international flight. In 2018, she allegedly tried to renew her passport by again falsely claiming citizenship status. Johnson is also accused of unlawfully voting in the 2020 Presidential election and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to renew and replace her Florida driver’s license.
“An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty,” according to the announcement.
The case was investigated by the United States Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service and will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler III.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, which uses Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration, target cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from violent crime.
