The United States Department of Justice has disclosed an indictment against 65-year-old Bahamian national Rochelle Deborah Johnson, on charges of illegal voting, passport fraud, and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship to access state benefits. As detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, if found guilty, Johnson could face up to 35 years in a federal prison.
Johnson's indictment alleges she obtained a U.S. passport fraudulently in 2016 by claiming citizenship, and she attempted a renewal with the same false claim in 2018. Born in The Bahamas, Johnson is not a U.S. citizen, yet she unlawfully participated in the 2020 Presidential election and further misrepresented her citizenship status to renew and replace her Florida driver’s license. Unsealed charges are now providing the narrative that the United States Attorney's Office is all too familiar with in the never-ending campaign to uphold the integrity of the system, as Operation Take Back America eye the presumed innocence of every suspect until proven guilty.
The case falls under the umbrella of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative focused on curtailing illegal immigration, dismantling cartels, and eradicating transnational criminal organizations as it seeks to shield communities from violence. The Department of State – Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation, with Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III leading the prosecution efforts.
An "indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law," the Department of Justice reminds us, with our system of jurisprudence steadfastly upholding the principle of presumed innocence.
