United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Bernadette Acaso, 19, a Filipino national residing in Honolulu, Oʻahu and Kahului, Maui, was charged by criminal complaint on July 22, 2026, with unlawfully voting as an alien.

According to court records, Acaso was born in the Philippines and came to the United States in or around 2018 on an immigrant visa and became a Lawful Permanent Resident. Acaso cast a mail-in ballot in the 2024 general election.

Acaso admitted in a statement to law enforcement that she understood she was not a United States citizen at the time she voted, according to the US Department of Justice.

If convicted, Acaso faces up to one year in prison, plus a term of supervised release. Acaso also faces a fine of up to $100,000.

The charge in the criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Special Assistant US Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.