FRANKLINTON, La. — A 51-year-old legal permanent resident originally from Sydney, Australia, has been indicted on four federal counts for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register to vote and then casting ballots in the 2022 and 2024 federal elections, U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced.
Denise Nataly Migliore, a Franklinton resident, was charged in the four-count indictment filed June 11 in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The charges allege violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(f), covering false claims to citizenship, and 52 U.S.C. § 20511(2)(B), covering illegal voting in a federal election.
According to the indictment, Migliore knowingly made false claims to U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote on Oct. 6, 2022, and again on Oct. 22, 2024. She then cast a ballot obtained through those false certifications on Nov. 8, 2022, and Nov. 5, 2024 — the dates of the last two federal general elections. At the time, Migliore held legal permanent resident status but was not a U.S. citizen and was therefore ineligible to vote.
Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Migliore faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Rick Veters of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
Non-citizen voting is a federal crime that can also trigger deportation proceedings and permanent bars to future naturalization. The indictment lands amid heightened federal scrutiny of voter-roll integrity across multiple states. Migliore’s next court date has not yet been publicly scheduled.