WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice has announced charges against 16 individuals in connection with alleged illegal voting, false claims of U.S. citizenship and other election-related crimes across the country.Among those named is Kulwinder Singh Bhengura, 69, an Indian citizen and lawful permanent resident, who is facing federal charges in the Northern District of Texas for allegedly voting in a federal election while not being a U.S. citizen and making a false statement of citizenship in order to register to vote.
According to federal prosecutors, Bhengura has been a lawful permanent resident since 2022. Prosecutors allege that he claimed to be a U.S. citizen when registering to vote in January 2024 and again while applying for a Texas driver’s license in August 2024. They further allege that he voted in the November 2024 general election. Bhengura was arrested on September 11, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
The case against Bhengura is part of a broader federal election-enforcement operation involving seven noncitizens in Texas. Federal prosecutors said the cases involve alleged unlawful voting, false statements concerning citizenship and, in one case, false statements made during the naturalization process.The DOJ’s nationwide announcement said the 16 cases include alleged unlawful voting by noncitizens in federal elections and false claims of citizenship, along with other alleged offenses such as wire fraud, naturalization fraud, passport fraud and unlawful firearm purchases uncovered during investigations.
Bhengura’s case is pending in federal court, and the charges are allegations. A criminal charge is not a finding of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.Federal court records show that United States v. Khalwinder Singh Bhengura was scheduled for an initial appearance and arraignment in the Northern District of Texas on September 14, 2026.