A federal grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday charging a Canadian citizen with illegally registering to vote and voting in federal elections in 2022 and 2024.
“Every single time a noncitizen casts an illegal vote in North Carolina, it steals and nullifies the vote of an actual citizen,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “If the records are correct, this Canadian citizen appears to have voted in New Hanover and Pender County elections over the past 20 years. We intend to prove his illegal conduct in court and put an end to it.”
According to the indictment, Denis Bouchard, 69, falsely claimed to be a United States citizen to vote in federal elections, including the most recent 2024 presidential election. Bouchard, who has resided in the United States since the 1960s, never obtained U.S. citizenship.
Despite his status as an alien, Bouchard certified that he was a U.S. citizen on voter registration applications in 2022 and 2024, when he cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election and 2022 congressional election.
Bouchard is charged with two counts of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f) and two counts of 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2)(B). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment on each count.
“Every American deserves to exercise their right to vote without interference in the democratic process. We appreciate the North Carolina Board of Elections partnership and commitment to working together to ensure fair elections in our state,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
“I am proud of the efforts of our investigators who worked this case prior to handing it off to our law enforcement partners at the FBI. Nothing is more critical to our democracy than confidence in our electoral process, which is why vigorous enforcement of our election laws must be a priority. The NC State Board of Elections team continues to stand ready to assist the U.S. Attorney’s Office as they investigate and prosecute voter fraud in North Carolina,” said Sam Hayes, the Executive Director of the NC State Board of Elections.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Bouchard’s initial appearance in court Thursday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a referral of the case by the N.C. Board of Elections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton is prosecuting the case.
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