NEWARK, N.J. — A Hudson County woman originally from Senegal has been charged by federal prosecutors with illegally voting in multiple federal elections and making false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Sanata Coulibaly, 64, was not a U.S. citizen when she registered to vote using a paper application and allegedly certified that she was a citizen. Federal prosecutors say she later cast ballots in the 2018 midterm election, the July 2020 primary, the November 2020 general election and the 2024 general election.
The criminal complaint also alleges that Coulibaly later submitted a naturalization application in which she falsely stated that she had never registered to vote or voted in a federal election.
Federal authorities charged her with voting by a noncitizen in a federal election and making false statements while applying for U.S. citizenship. The naturalization-related charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, while the illegal-voting charge carries a maximum potential penalty of one year.
The case was brought through the U.S. Attorney’s Office Election Integrity Task Force and investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Coulibaly’s case is also among a broader group of federal election-related prosecutions announced by the Justice Department. DOJ said 16 people nationwide had been charged in cases involving allegations of illegal voting, unlawful voter registration and related offenses.
The charges are allegations, and Coulibaly is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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