New Jersey Election Integrity: Four Residents Charged with Illegal Voting and Citizenship Fraud
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Federal authorities in Newark have officially cracked down on a string of election-related crimes, charging four New Jersey residents for allegedly casting illegal ballots in federal elections. The charges, announced by U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer on Friday, May 1, 2026, follow a year-long investigation into noncitizen voting and naturalization fraud.
The four individuals—hailing from Atlantic, Bergen, and Monmouth Counties—are accused of registering to vote and casting ballots despite not being U.S. citizens.
The individuals charged include:
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David Neewilly (73): Atlantic County resident; allegedly voted in the 2020 and 2024 general elections.
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Jacenth Beadle Exum (70): Bergen County resident; allegedly voted in the 2020 general election.
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Idan Choresh (43): Monmouth County resident; allegedly voted in the 2022 general election.
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Abhinandan Vig (33): Monmouth County resident; allegedly voted in the 2020 general election.
According to federal complaints, after casting their illegal ballots, the defendants allegedly submitted N-400 applications for naturalization in which they falsely claimed under oath that they had never registered to vote or participated in a federal election.
The Charges: Voting Fraud and “Lying to Authorities”
The range of federal charges against the group includes:
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Illegally Voting in a Federal Election: A violation of federal law which strictly restricts voting to U.S. citizens.
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False Statements in Relation to Naturalization: Lying on official citizenship forms.
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Unlawful Procurement of Citizenship: Attempting to obtain naturalization through fraudulent means.
“Today’s charges reflect this Office’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our election system,” said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer. “Those who attempt to circumvent both our voting laws and our naturalization process will be held accountable.”
A New Era of Enforcement in NJ
The arrests were spearheaded by the Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition launched last year to target voter registration fraud, noncitizen voting, and double-voting.
The task force’s recent activity marks a significant shift under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer, a veteran prosecutor appointed in March 2026. His appointment followed a high-profile standoff between the judiciary and the executive branch over the leadership of the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s office.
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Legal Disclaimer: The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
