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The federal government filed a lawsuit against 28 California residents over illegal voting. Shah, Adavaag, Rivas Garcia and others were charged. The case involved disputes over voting eligibility, naturalization, and deportation.
Kamlesh Shah is resident ofNorthern California An Indian elder in the state’s Sacramento area suffers from heart disease and has limited mobility. On Monday, he realized he was being sued by the federal government and was at the center of a California-federal storm over election fraud.
Shah, 68, told the Sacramento Bee that in November 2024, the former vice presidenthe jinli Inspired by running for president, he had lived in the United States for 30 years and was applying for citizenship. He decided that if possible he would tryvote . So he went to a polling station in Sacramento, showed his ID, and an elections official confirmed he could vote and gave him a ballot. That’s why he voted.
Later, Homeland Security officials came to visit and asked Shah if he had voted in that election. Officials told him the federal government would reject his citizenship application because he voted illegally.
On the 16th of this month, Shah received a notice to appear in court, requiring him to go to the federal court in Sacramento on November 6. Shah was charged with tampering with the vote count in a federal election as a foreigner, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison or a $100,000 fine. According to the indictment, Shah lied about being a citizen when he voted in 2024. On the 19th, Shah’s name was announced in a federal lawsuit filed against 28 California residents for illegal voting.
Shah said, “This is a big mistake, I am nervous and disappointed. I am already having difficulty walking and talking and now I have to face these charges.”
Gizel Widuya Adavaag, who was arrested on the 19th at her home in Vacaville, Bay Area, is another California resident who has been charged. She immigrated to the United States legally from the Philippines in January 2021, married a US citizen the same year, and obtained legal residency in December 2022.
Prosecutors said Adavaag had registered to vote on the same day as Shah, but Adavaag cast his vote in Surano County in the Bay Area. According to criminal complaint records, after reviewing her signed voter registration form, Adavaag admitted she may have voted, but said she “was not aware of it at the time” and suggested she “voted with my husband.”
Another person convicted is Juan Antonio Rivas Garcia, who runs an asphalt company in Sacramento and is currently a legal resident of California. Rivas-Garcia is accused of fraudulently registering to vote in 2018 and 2020 and voting in the 2022 and 2024 U.S. elections.
Rivas Garcia applied for naturalization in 2019, but his application was rejected in 2021, the report said. According to the indictment, the Department of Homeland Security has initiated deportation proceedings against him.
Summary FAQ
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The federal government accused several Northern California residents of voting as non-citizens in federal elections and filed a lawsuit against 28 California residents, focusing on illegal voting and registration fraud.
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Shah, 68, said he was inspired by He Jinli’s candidacy in 2024. He went to the polling station, showed his ID and election officials confirmed he could vote; But prosecutors said he lied about being a citizen when registering or voting.
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Adavaag was accused of possibly voting with her husband and making false statements during registration; Rivas Garcia was accused of registration in 2018 and 2020, voter fraud in 2022 and 2024 and is already facing deportation proceedings.
