Felony Sex Offender Arrested on Federal Warrant for Illegally Voting in North Carolina Elections

RALEIGH, N.C. - The FBI arrested James Osborne, 36, of Wilmington on a Federal arrest warrant. The FBI obtained the warrant pursuant to a Federal criminal complaint signed by a U.S. Magistrate Judge which accuses Osborne of making False Statements on Voter Registration or Ballot while being a convicted felon and serving a sentence of supervised release for Possession of Child Pornography.

According to the complaint, Osborne was ineligible to legally register to vote or cast a ballot because he was serving a federal sentence of supervised release at the time for his felony conviction for Possession of Child Pornography. Osborne, who must register as a sex offender, signed and submitted a voter registration on November 4, 2025, voted in-person inside an elementary school polling site in the November 5, 2024, presidential election, and voted in-person inside a public library polling site in the February 25, 2026, primary election. On each such occasion, Osborne falsely indicated to voting officials that he was not serving a felony sentence.

"This case is an example of the FBI's commitment to election security and serves as a warning that we will arrest and prosecute anyone who illegally participates in our democratic process," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.

Osborne is charged with False Statements on Voter Registration or Ballot in violation of Title 52, United States Code, Section 20511(2)(A), and Title 52, United States Code, Section 20511(2)(B), and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for each violation.

Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Petracca is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North CarolinaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.