Angelica Maria Francisco, 42, originally from Guatemala illegally present in the U.S, faces legal action from the federal government, charged through a nine-count information for committing various frauds involving U.S. citizenship claims, passport application falsifications, and severe identity theft crimes.
The charges came as Francisco consented to a plea deal, admitting guilt to all allegations, as announced by Prim F. Escalona, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, and Joseph R. Wysowaty, the Diplomatic Security Service’s Resident Agent in Charge for the Atlanta office.
Authorities allege that Francisco adopted the persona of a U.S. citizen around 2011, using this stolen identity to unlawfully secure a U.S. passport. She purportedly leveraged this passport for trips to Guatemala in several instances between 2012 and 2022 and to engage in voting activities within Alabama for the 2016 and 2020 elections.
The Diplomatic Security Service of the State Department led the investigation into Francisco’s activities, with support from local Alabama law enforcement and election agencies.
Wes Allen, the Alabama Secretary of State, emphasized the significance of preserving the integrity of the electoral process by ensuring only qualified U.S. citizens participate in voting. Allen praised the efforts of the U.S. State Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office for their rigorous pursuit of justice in this case.
In a statement responding to the voter and passport fraud, Allen said, “I have been very clear that a top priority of this Office is ensuring only eligible American citizens are voting in Alabama elections. I want to thank the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Alabama for their diligent efforts investigating and charging this individual. We will continue to assist law enforcement in every way possible as they prosecute individuals who vote illegally in Alabama elections to the fullest extent of the law.”
Allen has been vocal about the importance of addressing potential vulnerabilities in voter registration processes. He highlighted concerns regarding federal mandates that compel state agencies to distribute voter registration details without confirming applicants’ citizenship status, a directive issued by President Biden in 2021 with the intention of enhancing voter access.
