Attorney General Todd Rokita has announced felony charges filed against Francisco Aguilar Romero in partnership with Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt, marking the first time Indiana has prosecuted an individual allegedly residing illegally for illegal voting. Romero faces accusations of unlawfully registering to vote, committing perjury, and casting ballots in multiple Indiana elections, all within Vigo County. The charges highlight a multi-year effort by the Attorney General's office to identify and prevent illegal voting across the state.
According to allegations in the charging papers filed by Rokita’s team, Romero, who was born in Mexico and is allegedly in the United States illegally with DACA status, voted in six Vigo County elections. State records indicate he allegedly first registered to vote in February 2018 and later updated or re-verified his registration in August 2023. At the times of these alleged registrations, neither federal nor Indiana law required documentary proof of citizenship, with federal law interpreted to prohibit states from mandating such proof for individuals using federal registration forms. Romero was allegedly able to register by completing a form that stated he was a citizen.
Rokita stated that had the proposed SAVE America Act been in place, all voters would be required to provide documentary proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or passport, which would prevent noncitizens from registering to vote in federal elections. Indiana recently passed its own proof of citizenship statute, which Rokita's office credits with helping to identify Romero as a possible illegal voter. "This case shows exactly why we need the SAVE America Act," Rokita said, adding his concern that if a simple checkbox allows alleged illegal aliens to vote "election after election, then others could easily do so as well." He further emphasized the importance of safeguarding elections, comparing Indiana's strong photo ID laws to other states.
These charges stem from a deliberate, multi-year initiative by Rokita and his team aimed at identifying and stopping illegal voting. This effort began in October 2024, when Rokita collaborated with the Secretary of State to request citizenship verification from federal authorities for over 585,000 Indiana voters who had registered without a state-issued photo ID. After this initial request was denied, Rokita's office filed a lawsuit against the federal government in April 2025. This legal action concluded with a significant settlement in December 2025, which granted enhanced access to federal databases for citizenship verification.
The data obtained through this settlement revealed that at least 21 noncitizens had voted in Indiana elections, with nearly 150 more noncitizens registered but not yet having cast a ballot. To act on this information, Rokita established the necessary state infrastructure for prosecuting illegal voting cases. This included creating a process for the Secretary of State to refer potential cases to the Attorney General, expanding the investigative capabilities of the Office of the Attorney General, and securing a partnership with the Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office to file charges. Rokita stated that his office is "best positioned" to investigate and prosecute these cases effectively due to their significant statewide importance.
The charges against Romero include felony violations for false or fraudulent voter registration, perjury, and voting by an ineligible person. If convicted of these charges, Romero faces a maximum prison sentence of up to 11.5 years. The Attorney General's office stated that more cases are expected as they remain committed to pursuing every viable case in coordination with prosecutors who share the goal of safeguarding election integrity. As with all defendants, Romero is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
