Federal prosecutors say a 40-year-old Canadian national living in Saugus spent years casting ballots in U.S. elections even though he is not a citizen, and now he is facing criminal charges in Boston federal court.
Sunny Manhertz, described by authorities as a lawful permanent resident, was charged Tuesday with two federal election-related crimes. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Boston, where a judge released him on conditions that include obeying all laws and complying with court orders. His next hearing is scheduled for June 3.
Prosecutors' account
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging documents say Manhertz became a lawful permanent resident on Feb. 25, 1987. Nearly three decades later, on March 1, 2016, he allegedly submitted a Massachusetts voter-registration form and checked “Yes” in response to the question, “Are you a Citizen of the United States of America?”
Prosecutors say he later filed an I-90 application to renew or replace a permanent-resident card in February 2019, listing his alien-registration number and selecting the box marked “Lawful Permanent Resident.” During a May 11 interview with investigators, he allegedly said he had been voting since 2008.
The indictment charges Manhertz with one count of unlawful voting by aliens and one count of procuring, casting or tabulating ballots known to be materially false, fictitious or fraudulent, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Court appearance and local detail
Court records show Manhertz made his initial appearance in Boston federal court on Tuesday and walked out under supervision rather than in handcuffs, subject to standard release conditions.
As reported by The Boston Globe, the charging papers allege he voted in multiple federal elections, including in 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024, and that he confirmed that list when questioned by investigators. The Globe notes the case was announced by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley alongside officials from Homeland Security Investigations.
Charges and penalties
Prosecutors say the state-law style charge for procuring or casting ballots that are false, fictitious or fraudulent carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The unlawful-voting-by-aliens count carries up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000, again according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Officials note that sentencing in any federal case is ultimately up to a judge applying federal statutes and the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, so the actual penalty could be lower than the maximums listed on paper.
Massachusetts election rules are explicit that only U.S. citizens may register to vote in the Commonwealth, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Elections Division.
A broader pattern
The Saugus case is landing in the middle of a broader federal push on election-related crimes, including alleged noncitizen voting and false registrations. Recent prosecutions in New Jersey and other states have highlighted similar accusations, according to reporting compiled by The Washington Post via the Associated Press.
Election officials and law-enforcement agencies cited in that reporting have repeatedly said such cases appear to be isolated and are unlikely to swing outcomes in a system that relies on thousands of local jurisdictions.
The Massachusetts filing slots into that pattern of targeted investigations, federal officials said.
Next steps
Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal court records emphasize that the allegations in the charging documents have not been proven. Manhertz is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors convince a jury or a judge otherwise.
His next appearance in Boston federal court is scheduled for June 3, according to The Boston Globe.
