70-year-old Canadian citizen living in North Carolina faces up to 10 years in prison after voting illegally in U.S. for decades

A Canadian citizen living in North Carolina admitted to illegally voting in a U.S. election after falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen, federal prosecutors said.Dennis Bouchard, 70, admitted in federal court that he lied about being a U.S. citizen on voter registration applications in order to vote in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential election.Prosecutors said Bouchard had lived in the United States since the 1960s but had never obtained U.S. citizenship.Court records show Bouchard registered to vote in North Carolina and certified that he was a U.S. citizen, which allowed him to vote in federal elections. Federal law allows only U.S. citizens to vote in federal elections.Prosecutors said Bouchard voted in the 2022 congressional elections and again in the 2024 presidential election. Both votes came after he lied about his citizenship on voter registration forms, court documents show.Bouchard currently faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Each count of impersonating a U.S. citizen in order to vote carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison.Investigators believe Bouchard may have voted in elections in New Hanover and Pender counties over the years, possibly dating back two decades. However, he was only charged for conduct related to the 2022 and 2024 elections. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said some federal crimes have five-year statutes of limitations, which can limit the period in which charges can be filed.U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle said in a statement that illegal voting by non-citizens undermines confidence in the election. He said investigators and election officials worked together to get to the bottom of the case.