Russellville woman sentenced to 5 years for voting, passport fraud

HUNTSVILLE — A Russellville woman was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison last Thursday after pleading guilty to voting and passport fraud.

Angelica Maria Francisco, 42, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to two counts of false claims of citizenship in connection with voting, five counts of using a U.S. passport obtained by false statements, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of false statements in application for a U.S. passport.

“This sentence sends a clear message that any attempts by non-U.S. citizens to vote in the Northern District of Alabama are unacceptable and will result in serious consequences,” U.S. Attorney Prim Escalona said in a press statement.

“Maintaining the sanctity of the U.S. election system is one of the most important responsibilities of federal law enforcement. My office will remain vigilant in carrying out this mission and, to that end, will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who seek to undermine our elections,” Escalona said.

Francisco in 2011 assumed the identity of a U.S. citizen, according to the plea agreement. That same year, she used the false identity to obtain a U.S. passport to travel to and from her native country of Guatemala in 2012, 2015 and 2018.

Francisco also used her false identity to register to vote in Alabama in 2016. She voted in the primary and general elections in 2016 and 2020.

In 2021, she used her false identity to apply for and receive a renewed passport, which she used to travel to and from Guatemala in 2022.

The U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Services was assisted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the East Metro Area Crime Center, and the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office in the investigation.