NEW: Unlawful Alien Charged With Fraudulently Voting In At Least 5 Presidential Elections
Mahady Sacko, a 50-year-old illegal alien from the West African nation of Mauritania, has been charged with fraudulent voting in the 2024 federal election after allegedly casting ballots while not being a U.S. citizen. Federal authorities allege that Sacko falsely claimed citizenship to register and vote on multiple occasions, including in prior presidential elections.
According to prosectors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Sacko entered the United States in March 1998 through Miami, Florida. Immigration records indicate he was placed in deportation proceedings in 1999.
On June 14, 2000, a Philadelphia immigration judge ordered his removal to Mauritania. Sacko appealed the decision, but the Board of Immigration Appeals affirmed it on November 14, 2002. Despite the order, he remained in the country.
In January 2007, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him in Philadelphia. However, deportation was not possible at that time due to the lack of a valid Mauritanian passport, and Mauritania’s refusal to issue a new one. As a result, ICE released Sacko under supervision and required him to report periodically.
According to Pennsylvania voter records reviewed by investigators, Sacko first registered to vote in January 2005 as a Democrat. He re-registered multiple times thereafter: twice in 2006, once in 2008, twice in 2012, three times in 2016, once in 2019, twice in 2020, and once in 2024.
Each registration form required him to affirm U.S. citizenship, which authorities say he falsely did.
The criminal complaint details Sacko’s alleged voting history in federal elections. He is accused of voting in the 2008 general election, the 2012 general election, as well as the 2016 primary and general elections. In 2020, he allegedly voted by mail in both the primary and general elections before voting in-person once again in the 2024 general election.
The investigation began when an FBI special agent examined state voting records and cross-referenced them with immigration data. “On each occasion, [Sacko] falsely represented that he was a U.S. citizen,” FBI Special Agent Mickel McGann wrote in an affidavit supporting the criminal complaint.
U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced the charges in a press release, in which he stated that Sacko was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with fraudulent voting in the 2024 federal election by a non-citizen. If convicted on this single count, Sacko faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Sacko’s immigration status remains under ICE supervision, and deportation proceedings could resume following the criminal case.
Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA) highlighted the case as a reason to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly referred to as the SAVE Act. The proposed legislation — which has already passed in the House — would overhaul federal elections to require photo ID and a number of additional security measures designed to crack down on voter fraud.
“Illegal immigrant Mahady Sacko allegedly voted in 5 elections in PA. That should never happen. Only U.S. citizens should decide U.S. elections. This is precisely why I support [Senator Mike Lee’s] SAVE America Act,” McCormick wrote in an X post. “We must secure our elections. I commend U.S. Attorney David Metcalf and his team for uncovering this case and working to hold those who undermine the integrity of our elections accountable.”