A Canadian citizen has pleaded guilty to making false claims of U.S. citizenship in order to vote in North Carolina elections. Denis Bouchard, 70, admitted to falsely certifying that he was a United States citizen on voter registration applications in both 2022 and 2024. These actions allowed him to participate in the 2022 elections and the 2024 presidential election, despite never having obtained U.S. citizenship since moving to the country in the 1960s.
Reid Davis, FBI Special Agent in Charge for North Carolina, commented on the case: “Election security is one of the FBI’s top priorities. Americans expect fair elections and democracy requires it. This case is a testament to the FBI’s commitment to working with our partners in North Carolina to arrest and prosecute anyone who illegally participates in our democratic process, and the FBI will fully investigate any individual who attempts to subvert our upcoming 2026 elections.”
State Board Executive Director Sam Hayes added: “This conviction exemplifies our strong committed partnerships with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office to enforce our election laws and to safeguard our electoral system. An American citizen’s right to vote is sacred, and we must do everything possible to protect that individual right and the opportunity to exercise it.” He continued, “The State Board will continue to actively investigate all credible allegations of voter fraud by individuals and organizations with the goal of bolstering confidence in North Carolina’s electoral process.”
Bouchard faces up to five years imprisonment for each count when sentenced.
The announcement was made by W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, after Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II accepted Bouchard’s plea. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton prosecuting.
