Two Passaic County men are facing federal charges after prosecutors accused them of voting in U.S. elections while not citizens, then lying about it on their applications for naturalization. Antonio Mitchell, 54, of Paterson, and Andrea Morzetta, 72, of North Haledon, were each charged with voting by a noncitizen in a federal election and unlawfully attempting to procure U.S. citizenship, with Mitchell facing an additional charge of making false statements while applying for citizenship.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey announced the charges: both men were charged with illegally voting in a federal election and unlawfully attempting to procure U.S. citizenship, while Mitchell alone faced an additional charge of making false statements while applying for citizenship, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey. As reported by NJ.com, Mitchell and Morzetta are the latest noncitizens charged in New Jersey with illegally voting, and attorneys for both men could not immediately be reached for comment.
Allegations Against the Paterson Man
Mitchell, a legal permanent resident who emigrated from Jamaica in 1980 on a B-2 visa, allegedly registered to vote in 2012 despite not being a U.S. citizen at the time, prosecutors allege. He is accused of voting in person during the November 2022 general election, which included races for federal office, according to the Paterson Times, which reported that Mitchell “was not a U.S. citizen when he registered to vote but falsely certified on his voter registration form that he was a citizen.”
When Mitchell applied for U.S. citizenship in January 2025, prosecutors allege he falsely claimed on his naturalization application that he had never registered to vote or participated in a federal election. Authorities also allege he lied to immigration services officers about voting on two separate occasions. If convicted on all three charges, the Paterson Times reports Mitchell faces a combined maximum penalty of 16 years in prison and $600,000 in fines.
North Haledon Man Accused of Voting Across Four Elections
Morzetta, who emigrated to the United States from Italy as the spouse of a legal permanent resident roughly 26 years before the charges were announced, registered to vote in 2002, according to court papers cited by NJ.com. He reportedly did not cast his first ballot in the U.S. until 12 years after registering, per the same account, before voting in the 2014 midterm election and the 2016 general election.
Federal prosecutors allege Morzetta also voted by mail in 2020 and voted in person again in 2024. When he applied for U.S. citizenship in 2024, Morzetta checked “no” on his N-400 form when asked whether he had previously voted in a U.S. election, according to court papers obtained by the outlet.
Part of a Broader Pattern in New Jersey
The charges against Mitchell and Morzetta follow a string of similar federal cases in the state. NJ.com reports that four New Jersey residents were charged in April with illegally voting, and federal prosecutors have brought a series of similar cases against noncitizens accused of illegally voting in New Jersey elections, according to the New Jersey Globe.
Among those earlier cases, a 55-year-old Bridgewater woman, Gaye Tyndale-Simpson, who is a Jamaican citizen and has never been a United States citizen, pleaded guilty earlier this month to illegally voting in Somerset County during the 2024 presidential election. The New Jersey Globe reports she faces a maximum sentence of six months in federal prison and a $100,000 fine, with sentencing scheduled for February 24, 2027.
Noncitizen Voting Cases Beyond New Jersey
Similar prosecutions have surfaced elsewhere in the country, though outcomes and circumstances vary widely. The Washington Post examined 180 voter-fraud cases nationally and found that many people charged cited honest mistakes. In one case the paper detailed, Jamaican national Jacqueline Wallace, who had applied for a U.S. green card, filled out a 2024 Florida GOP primary ballot after a school employee asked her to register to vote, according to her attorney.
In another case reported by the Associated Press, prosecutors said a Syracuse woman voted illegally, though she said she had only recently learned she was not a citizen. Prosecutors allege that Mitchell and Morzetta voted illegally.
What the Charges Could Mean Under Federal Law
The charges against Mitchell include making false statements while applying for citizenship, a category of offense addressed under 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a), which applies to knowingly making a false statement under oath in a matter relating to U.S. naturalization, citizenship, or the registry of aliens, according to the U.S. Code maintained by the House of Representatives. Both Mitchell and Morzetta now face the prospect of federal court proceedings as their cases move forward.
