Federal prosecutors say Patrick Terrance Reid voted in four presidential elections and Danubis Bernat voted in 2024 before both allegedly made false statements on citizenship applications.
NEWARK, N.J. — Two New Jersey residents who were not U.S. citizens when they registered to vote have been charged with illegally casting ballots in federal elections and later making false statements while applying for American citizenship.
Patrick Terrance Reid, 61, a Jamaican national living in Orange, and Danubis Bernat, 49, a Venezuelan national living in South Amboy, were each charged by separate criminal complaints with voting by an alien in a federal election and making false statements during the naturalization process, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Reid appeared Sept. 24 before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark. Bernat appeared the same day before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton.
Prosecutors Say Reid Voted in Four Presidential Elections
Federal prosecutors allege Reid and Bernat were non-citizens when they registered to vote and falsely certified on their registration forms that they were U.S. citizens.
Reid allegedly voted in person in the November 2012 and November 2016 presidential elections before casting mail-in ballots in the November 2020 and November 2024 presidential elections.
Bernat allegedly voted in person in the 2024 general election.
At the time of those votes, neither defendant was a U.S. citizen, prosecutors said.
Citizenship Applications Also Under Scrutiny
The allegations extend beyond the voting records.
Prosecutors say both defendants later submitted Form N-400 naturalization applications seeking U.S. citizenship and falsely stated that they had never registered to vote or voted in a federal election.
An N-400 application requires applicants to certify under penalty of perjury that the information they provide is complete and truthful.
Federal authorities allege both Reid and Bernat gave false answers despite their earlier voter registrations and ballots.
Cases Brought Under Election Integrity Task Force
The cases were brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal agencies investigating alleged election-related crimes in New Jersey.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services participated in the investigations.
The Justice Department also announced this week that the New Jersey cases were among a broader group of federal election-related prosecutions involving alleged unlawful voting, fraudulent registration and related offenses.
Charges Carry Potential Prison Terms
A conviction for voting by an alien in a federal election carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
The false-statement charges connected to the citizenship applications carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charges are accusations. Reid and Bernat are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
For continuing statewide coverage, Shore News Network tracks New Jersey politics, elections and federal criminal cases across the state.
