Jason R. Coody, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida
Jacqueline Dianne Wallace, a 52-year-old Jamaican citizen, has been arrested in Florida. She faces charges related to making a false claim of citizenship in an attempt to register to vote in the 2024 Florida Presidential Primary Election. The announcement was made by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, following Wallace's court appearance in Tallahassee.
According to the complaint, Wallace entered the United States on a six-month B2 tourism visa in December 2010 and failed to leave when it expired. In January 2024, she registered to vote in federal elections through an online system, falsely certifying her U.S. citizenship. She allegedly submitted the voter registration form using a community college computer network. In August 2024, without having gained citizenship, Wallace voted in the federal 2024 Florida Presidential Primary.
Wallace was taken into custody by agents from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and investigators from the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. If convicted, she could face a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and deportation.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies, including HSI Tampa Field Division, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Election Crime Unit, and others. The charge against Wallace is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational crime.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric Welch is leading the prosecution. The case highlights the presumption of innocence, emphasizing that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt, and defendants are entitled to due process. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida plays a pivotal role in such cases under the Attorney General's guidance.
For public documents related to this case, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida's website can be visited, while more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office is available on their official site.
