Two Aliens in West Tennessee Charged with Illegal Voting in Federal Elections

Memphis, TN - Two aliens have been indicted in the Western District of Tennessee and are facing federal charges for illegally voting in federal elections. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the unsealing of the indictments today.

As alleged in the indictments, two aliens have been charged for illegally voting in federal elections in the Western District of Tennessee:

• Cesar Sanchez Correa, 44, a citizen of Mexico, allegedly illegally voted in Haywood County, TN in the 2024 election held in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for President, Vice President, Member of the United States Senate, or Member of the United States House of Representatives, and allegedly falsely and willfully represented himself to be a citizen of the United States in a Tennessee voter registration application in order to vote in a federal, state, or local election. Sanchez Correa is charged with one count of unlawful voting by an alien, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611.
• Andreas Van Der Werf, 62, a citizen of Germany, allegedly illegally voted in Fayette County, TN in both the 2022 and 2024 elections held in part for the purpose of electing a candidate for President, Vice President, Member of the United States Senate, or Member of the United States House of Representatives, and allegedly falsely and willfully represented himself to be a citizen of the United States in a Tennessee voter registration application in order to vote in a federal, state, or local election. Van Der Werf is charged with two counts of unlawful voting by an alien, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 611.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The law is clear: Only American citizens may vote in American elections. Every American citizen must be able to have their vote counted without it being stolen because of fraudulent or ineligible voters. Illegal voting is a crime and will be aggressively prosecuted by the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of the election process."

"Protecting the integrity of our elections is a responsibility HSI takes seriously," said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting. "With our partners, we will continue to investigate alleged violations of federal election laws and support efforts to uphold the foundations of our democracy."

These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Tennessee Secretary of State's Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney's Office Special Prosecutions Unit will be prosecuting the cases on behalf of the United States.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

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