Tallahassee, FL – A Jamaican national is facing up to five years in prison and possible deportation after being charged with falsely claiming U.S. citizenship in order to vote in the 2024 presidential primary election in Florida.
According to a statement from Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, Michelle Spaven, 52-year-old Jacqueline Dianne Wallace was arrested last month on a federal criminal complaint for unlawfully declaring herself a U.S. citizen.
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Court documents state that Wallace arrived in the United States in December 2010 on a six-month B-2 tourist visa and failed to return to Jamaica as required. In January 2024, she allegedly registered to vote in a federal election through an online system that required self-certification of U.S. citizenship—an assertion she was not legally permitted to make.
Federal authorities allege that the registration was submitted using a computer network at a local community college. Despite not having lawful U.S. citizenship, Wallace is accused of casting a ballot in Florida’s presidential primary in August 2024.
She was taken into custody by agents from the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, along with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
If convicted, Wallace faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and potential removal from the United States.
Federal prosecutors indicated the case falls under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide enforcement initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration and enforcing federal immigration laws.
