Non-citizen charged in LA with fraudulently registering to vote

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) - A Honduran national living in the San Fernando Valley was arrested today on charges of fraudulently registering to vote in United States elections and authorities in Los Angeles predicted it would be the first of many such prosecutions to come in the months leading up to the midterm elections.   

Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores, 30, of Winnetka, is charged with two felonies: false claim to U.S. citizenship and fraudulent voter registration.   

"Today's arrest is the first of many to come," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. "Unfortunately, because states like California allow non-citizens to easily register to vote and receive a ballot by mail, there's no telling how many non-citizens are currently registered to vote. We again renew our request that California immediately comply with our requests to audit their voter rolls so that all voters can have confidence in our elections.''   

According to an affidavit, Rivera was born in Honduras, entered the United States in 2002, and is present in the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident but is not a U.S. citizen.

In February, Rivera disrupted immigration law enforcement operations at the federal building in Camarillo, was issued a misdemeanor citation to which he pleaded guilty and was placed on probation, prosecutors said.   

Court papers show that in April, Rivera sent a federal agent a series of text messages, which read in part, "Your (sic) not the good guy ... I can't wait until the midterms you don't have qualified immunity then we can start and indict all you guys one bye one."

Rivera continued texting the federal agent until last month, prosecutors said.

Law enforcement investigated and allegedly discovered an online voter registration record in the name of "Darwin Rivera" associated with Rivera's Winnetka address. A certified voter registration application number, registration receipt and a signature image from the California Secretary of State, Elections Division, was also obtained by authorities, according to the Justice Department.

Under the application question of "Did someone help you fill out this form'' the answer "no'' was checked, and a check mark was provided next to the application wording "I am a U.S. citizen,'' prosecutors said.  

Following a declaration under penalty of perjury warning, the voter registration application deadline was dated Nov. 4, 2025. The birthplace listed under Rivera's name was "United States of America.''  

Officials said there is no record of Rivera seeking or obtaining U.S. citizenship. Rivera also has not voted in an election.

If convicted, Rivera would face up to five years in federal prison on each charge, prosecutors said.

"Non-citizens who commit fraud so they can vote in American elections do so in violation of federal law and should expect to be prosecuted,'' Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said Friday. "Let this criminal complaint serve as a reminder that the Justice Department stands ready to enforce the laws Congress enacted to ensure only American citizens vote in federal elections."