A 35-year-old Israeli woman is among six foreign nationals charged with making false statements on U.S. naturalization applications after allegedly registering to vote and casting ballots in California elections, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Monday.
Moria Dahan, an Israeli national and lawful permanent resident living in West Hills, Calif., allegedly registered to vote by falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen and cast a ballot in person in the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5, 2024, according to federal prosecutors.
On Nov. 6, 2025, Dahan submitted a naturalization application in which she allegedly denied ever claiming U.S. citizenship or registering to vote in an American election.
Dahan made her initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday with a Hebrew interpreter and was released shortly afterward. Her attorney, Tiffany Feder, told CalMatters that Dahan did not intend to defraud or conceal information and did not understand what she was filling out.
The other defendants are citizens of the Philippines, Mexico, Canada and Iran who reside in the Antelope and San Fernando valleys of Los Angeles County. They are accused of similar conduct, with alleged voting activity dating from 2009 through 2026.
The charges are part of Operation Protect the Vote, an ongoing federal investigation into alleged election-related offenses in California. With the latest cases, prosecutors say 34 people have been charged in the operation. All six defendants are lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green-card holders, who are not eligible to vote in U.S. elections.
The Los Angeles cases are part of a broader Justice Department announcement on Monday detailing charges against 63 individuals nationwide in connection with alleged election-related crimes.
Each of the six defendants faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison if convicted of making false statements on a naturalization application.
