A Guatemalan woman in the U.S. illegally pleaded guilty Wednesday to using fake documentation to vote in at least four elections in Alabama since 2016, according to federal authorities.
Angelica Maria Francisco, 42, most recently of Russellville, pleaded guilty to two counts of false claims of citizenship in connection with voting, one count of false statements in application for a U.S. passport, five counts of use of a U.S. passport obtained by false statements, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke, according to a joint announcement by Northern District of Alabama U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona and U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service in Atlanta Resident Agent in Charge Joseph R. Wysowaty.
Francisco has been in the U.S. since 2008. She assumed the identity of a woman identified in court documents only as “P.J.” and used her date of birth, social security number, birth certificate other identifying documents to apply for a U.S. passport on July 12, 2011.
She subsequently used the passport to travel to and from her native country of Guatemala in 2012, 2015, and 2018.
Using the same false identity, authorities said, Francisco also registered to vote in Alabama in February 2016 and voted in the 2016 and 2020 primary and general elections.
In 2021, Francisco used the same false identity to apply for and receive a renewed passport, which she used to travel to and from Guatemala in 2022.
Francisco’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 9.
She faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for eight of the convictions, and a maximum of two years in prison for the remaining conviction.
The case was investigated by the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the East Metro Area Crime Center and the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting.
