Fresno resident, others in Valley accused by feds of voter fraud in 2024 election

A Fresno resident was accused of voting illegally in the 2024 presidential election, the latest in a slew of accusations from the Trump Administration in the runup to the election.

Three others from the San Joaquin Valley were also named in a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office that announced six criminal complaints against noncitizens accused of illegally voting.

The state and the U.S. Department of Justice have been involved in an ongoing feud over a list of 20,000 registered voters the administration says might not be citizens. Prosecutors announced 28 arrests on Oct. 19.

Fresno County elections officials have said they follow state and federal law around voter registration, adding they’re following the lead of the CA secretary of state.

The Trump Administration sent a letter Oct. 23 threatening potential prosecution of Fresno County officials who do not cooperate with federal officials asking for evidence of voter fraud. Critics say it’s the latest effort by the Republican administration to sew doubt in elections in California, a blue state.

All six were charged with allegedly illegally voting on Nov. 5, 2024. The noncitizens most recently charged were:

Edith San Pedro Carter, 59, of Fresno, appeared in Fresno’s federal court on Friday, as did Lorie Jane Alcala, 44, of Hanford.

Maria Joao Bettencourt, 49, of Visalia, appeared in court on Monday, as did Rosa Bento Silva Anderson, 26, of Turlock.

Janelyn Stewart, 38, of Vallejo, was also charged though her appearance in court was not immediately clear.

Meryll Joy Quirong Costi, 36, of Sacramento, was also charged for allegedly voting on Nov. 8, 2022. She was scheduled to appear on Monday in Sacramento.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

This story was originally published November 2, 2026 at 5:31 PM.