2 NJ Residents Charged With Illegal Voting, Feds Say

Two NJ residents face federal charges over alleged illegal voting
Authorities say one defendant voted in four presidential elections
Both allegedly lied about their voting history on citizenship applications

Newark, N.J. — Two New Jersey residents, a Jamaican national from Orange and a Venezuelan national from South Amboy, have been charged with allegedly voting illegally in federal elections and making false statements on their citizenship applications.

61-year-old Patrick Terrance Reid and 49-year-old Danubis Bernat each made their initial appearances in federal court earlier this week.

Feds: Neither Was a Citizen When They Voted

According to federal authorities, Reid, who entered the United States from Jamaica on an immigrant visa, registered to vote by falsely certifying on his registration form that he was a U.S. citizen. He then voted in four consecutive presidential elections, in person in 2012 and 2016, and by mail-in ballot in 2020 and 2024.

Bernat, who entered the country from Venezuela on a tourist visa, also falsely certified her citizenship on her registration form and voted in person in the 2024 general election.

Officials said both defendants applied for U.S. citizenship after allegedly voting illegally, submitting naturalization applications that require the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that all information is complete, true, and correct.

Both Reid and Bernat falsely claimed on those applications that they had never registered to vote or voted in any federal election.

The voting-by-an-alien charges carry a maximum of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine. The false statement charges carry a maximum of 10 years and a $250,000 fine.

The public is reminded that charges are accusations, and all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Chris Coleman is a South Jersey native and has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City radio market since 1998. He serves as the afternoon on-air personality for WPUR Cat Country 107.3. A five-time President's Circle award winner and Townsquare Media's 2024 Content Creator of the Year, Chris covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com