ICE arrests Grayslake Filipino woman on voter fraud (WGN-IL)

ICE arrests Grayslake Filipino woman on voter fraud

By Lisa Black Tribune reporter

4:46 p.m. CDT, March 17, 2011

A Filipino woman living in Grayslake was arrested and charged with 17 felony counts related to voter fraud Thursday after being accused of falsely pretending to be a U.S. citizen and voting nine times in elections dating back to 2003, federal officials announced.

Maria Azada, 53, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, which worked with an investigator for the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office.

Azada faces charges of perjury, mutilation of election materials, and tampering with voting machines in connection with illegal voting by a non-U.S. citizen, according to an ICE news release.

Azada allegedly admitted that she had voted in an election in February 2009 while attending an immigration benefit. It is illegal for foreign nationals to vote in national or state elections in the United States.

“A subsequent investigation revealed that Azada allegedly voted nine times in primary, general and consolidated elections between 2003 and 2009,” according to the news release.

According to the arrest warrant, Azada allegedly falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen on two Illinois voter registration applications.

If convicted, Azada faces up to five years in state prison on each of the two perjury counts. She also faces up to three years on each of the six counts of tampering with voting machines, and each of the nine counts of mutilation of election materials.

She is also subject to deportation, according to ICE spokeswoman Gail Montenegro.