A federal indictment has been unsealed in Tampa, charging Rochelle Deborah Johnson, a 65-year-old Bahamian national, with illegal voting, passport fraud, and making a false claim of United States citizenship to obtain state benefits. If convicted on all counts, Johnson could face up to 35 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Johnson was born in The Bahamas and is not a U.S. citizen. Authorities allege that in 2016 she used a passport obtained by falsely claiming U.S. citizenship for international travel. In 2018, she allegedly attempted to renew this passport using the same false claim. Additionally, prosecutors say Johnson unlawfully voted in the 2020 Presidential election and claimed U.S. citizenship when renewing and replacing her Florida driver’s license.
"An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty," according to the announcement.
The United States Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler III is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America, an initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at addressing illegal immigration issues and combating transnational criminal organizations as well as violent crime across communities.
