Crime · Sacramento, CA
Two Sacramento Men, One Vacaville Woman Among 28 Charged in Federal Voter Fraud Probe
Federal prosecutors charged 28 California residents, all lawful permanent residents, with allegedly registering to vote and casting ballots while falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, as part of an initiative called "Operation Protect the Vote." Two Sacramento men—Juan Antonio Rivas García, 46, and Kamlesh Navnitlal Shah, 67—and one Vacaville woman—Giezell Viduya Adawag, 41—are among those charged; Adawag made her first federal court appearance Monday and was released on her own recognizance. If convicted, defendants face up to one year in federal prison. Separately, NorCal Resist alleged that masked federal agents present at the Sutter County elections office on Monday constituted voter intimidation, while Sutter County Registrar of Voters Donna Johnston said she did not believe the officers were there to intimidate anyone.