Two Pakistanis in New Jersey I
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provided critical assistance leading to the indictment of two Pakistani nationals, Muhammad Muzammal, 37, and Muhammad Shakeel, 62, for fraudulent voting in a federal election and making false statements on their citizenship applications. The U.S. Attorney’s Office made the announcement and credited the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and USCIS with the investigation.
According to the indictments, both men falsely certified that they were U.S. citizens when registering to vote in New Jersey in 2020. Despite their non-citizenship status, each individual cast ballots in the November 2020 general election, which included voting for president and vice president of the United States. To register to vote and participate in federal elections, a person must be a U.S. citizen.
The indictments also allege that after illegally voting, Muzammal and Shakeel each applied for U.S. citizenship by submitting an N-400, Application for Naturalization, to USCIS. Both falsely claimed on their applications that they had never registered to vote or voted in any federal, state, or local elections. During their interviews with USCIS officers, who placed them under oath, both men again falsely asserted that they had not voted in any federal, state, or local elections.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the penalties carry up to a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment.
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Source: USCIS
