Lawful Permanent Resident from Canada Charged with Falsely Claiming to be a United States Citizen to Register to Vote

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A lawful permanent resident from Canada was arrested after being charged with falsely claiming to be a United States citizen in order to register to vote.

Christopher Doucet, 68, was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register to vote.

Doucet was born in Canada and immigrated to the United States during his childhood, becoming a lawful permanent resident. Lawful permanent residents are not allowed to vote in federal elections and are not allowed to vote in state or local elections in Missouri. Although he knew he was not a United States citizen and that he was not allowed to vote, Doucet registered to vote in Jackson County, Mo., on Jan. 30, 2024. On his voter registration card, Doucet answered "Yes" to the question that asked, "Are you a citizen of the United States of America?" He then signed his name under the certification that read: "I hereby certify that I am a citizen of the United States . . ." A warning on the bottom of the voter registration card warns that a conviction for making a false statement may result in a fine or imprisonment. On April 2, 2024, Doucet voted in a General Municipal Election at the Living Hope Restoration Branch polling place in Independence, Mo.

The charges contained in the indictment are simply accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury who will be responsible for determining whether the defendant is guilty or not.

Under federal statutes, Doucet is subject to a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if convicted. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentence Doucet receives will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors

This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Michael J. Nichols. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations.