Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores, a lawful permanent resident, faces two federal felony charges after authorities say he falsely identified himself as a U.S. citizen on a California voter registration application.
A Honduran national and lawful permanent resident living in Los Angeles County was arrested Friday after federal authorities accused him of falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen while registering to vote in California.
Darwin Jonathan Rivera Flores, 30, of Winnetka, faces two federal felony charges: false claim to U.S. citizenship and fraudulent voter registration, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Rivera was arrested Friday morning and was expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in downtown Los Angeles.
What authorities allege
According to an affidavit filed with the federal criminal complaint, Rivera was born in Honduras and entered the United States in 2002.
He is a lawful permanent resident, commonly known as a green-card holder, but authorities said he is not a U.S. citizen.
Investigators discovered an online voter registration record under the name “Darwin Rivera” connected to Rivera’s Winnetka address.
They also obtained a certified voter registration application number, a registration receipt and a signature image from the California Secretary of State’s Elections Division.
The application listed the registrant as “Darwin J Rivera.”
Application allegedly claimed U.S. citizenship
The federal complaint says Rivera’s voter registration application included a check mark next to the statement indicating that the applicant was a U.S. citizen.
The application also indicated that nobody had helped him complete the form.
The registration was submitted under a declaration warning that the information was provided under penalty of perjury, according to the affidavit.
Additional records from the California Secretary of State and Los Angeles County reportedly listed Rivera’s birthplace as the United States of America, despite records indicating that he was born in Honduras.
Federal authorities said there is no record of Rivera applying for or obtaining U.S. citizenship.
Authorities say he did not actually vote
The case involves an alleged fraudulent voter registration, but authorities said Rivera has not voted in an election.
That distinction is important because the federal charges announced by the Justice Department concern the alleged false citizenship claim and voter registration itself.
The criminal complaint does not allege that Rivera cast a ballot.
Previous encounter with immigration authorities
The affidavit also describes previous interactions between Rivera and federal immigration authorities.
In February 2026, Rivera allegedly disrupted immigration law enforcement operations at a federal building in Camarillo.
He was issued a misdemeanor citation, later pleaded guilty and was placed on one year of probation.
In April, Rivera also sent a federal agent a series of text messages. According to the affidavit, he continued communicating with the agent through July 2026.
Those communications were part of the information reviewed during the subsequent investigation, according to prosecutors.
DOJ warns noncitizens against illegal voter registration
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said the department intends to enforce federal laws governing eligibility to vote in federal elections.
“Noncitizens who commit fraud so they can vote in American elections do so in violation of federal law and should expect to be prosecuted,” Dhillon said.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli described the arrest as the beginning of additional enforcement efforts.
Essayli also renewed the department’s request for California to audit its voter rolls, arguing that the state’s registration and mail-ballot procedures could allow noncitizens to become registered.
Federal investigation continues
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Wheat of the Orange County Office is prosecuting Rivera.
If convicted, Rivera faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison on each charge.
However, the charges remain allegations at this stage.
The Justice Department emphasized that a criminal complaint is not evidence of guilt by itself and that Rivera is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
California voter-roll debate
The arrest is likely to intensify the ongoing debate over voter-roll verification and eligibility in California.
The Justice Department has called for an audit of the state’s voter registration records, while this case provides an example of federal prosecutors pursuing an alleged false citizenship claim connected to voter registration.
At the same time, the Rivera case does not establish how widespread fraudulent noncitizen registrations may be.
Federal authorities said their investigation is continuing.
