Categories: U.S.

Colombian woman charged with illegally voting in 2024 election stealing $400,000 in taxpayer funded benefits

close Video

Media under fire for ‘pointless’ narrative on deportations

Seattle radio host Jason Rantz and content creator Natalie Beisner join ‘Fox News @ Night’ to compare photos of President Donald Trump and Biden, the media narrative around deportations and violent protests on University of Washington’s campus.

A Colombian woman living illegally in the United States lived under a stolen identity for more than two decades, improperly received more than $400,000 in stolen federal benefits, and illegally voted in the 2024 presidential election, federal prosecutors said Thursday. 

Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 59, also obtained welfare benefits, a REAL ID and eight other state ID’s, the Justice Department said. 

Orovio-Hernandez allegedly used the stolen identity to submit a fraudulent voter registration in January 2023, and cast a ballot in last year’s presidential election, prosecutors said. She was captured on surveillance camera at a bank wearing an “I voted” sticker on Nov. 5, 2024, Election Day, according to court documents. 

MOM OF GIRL ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY ILLEGALS SAYS WILDLIFE REFUGE RENAMING ‘MEANS THE WORLD’ TO FAMILY

Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez was captured on security video at a Massachusetts bank wearing an “I voted” sticker, federal prosecutors said.  (Justice Department)

She is charged with false representation of a Social Security number; making a false statement in an application for a United States passport; aggravated identity theft; receiving stolen government money or property; fraudulent voter registration; and fraudulent voting. Orovio-Hernandez has been held in federal custody since February, when she was charged with identity theft and other offenses. 

Authorities said Orovio-Hernandez improperly received $400,000 in federal benefits: $259,589 in Section 8 rental assistance benefits from October 2011 through January 2025; $101,257 in Social Security disability benefits from July 2014 through January; and $43,348 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or SNAP, from April 2005 through January.

IMMIGRATION EXPERT WARNS CHINESE ILLEGAL ALIENS USING CANADIAN CITY AS GATEWAY TO US

Video

“For more than 20 years, this defendant is alleged to have built an entire life on the foundation of a stolen identity – including illegally voting in our presidential election and collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits intended for Americans in need,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The right to vote is one of the many privileges of being a U.S. citizen. Government funded programs for those in need are intended to be safety nets for those living in our country lawfully – not support an illegal alien without a right to be here.”

She also applied for a U.S. passport, claiming to be a U.S. citizen who was born in Puerto Rico, authorities said. 

Orovio-Hernandez wasn’t entitled to any of the benefits she received, said Foley, citing her illegal presence in the U.S. 

Video

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Stealing someone’s identity to unlawfully obtain Social Security benefits is not just theft—it’s a long-term abuse of a system meant to support those truly in need,” said Amy Connelly, the special agent in charge for the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General in the Boston-New York field division.

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

Share

Recent Posts

Qantas data breach exposes millions of customer records

Cybercriminals hit Qantas in a major data breach that exposed information from up to six…

4 minutes ago

Senate Republican moves to give US an edge on China in harvesting minerals for weapons systems

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to give the U.S. a leg up in…

14 minutes ago

Trump shifts tone on Putin, calling out ‘bull—-‘

President Donald Trump took a different tone on Russian leader Vladimir Putin during his Cabinet…

14 minutes ago

Biden’s doctor arrives for closed-door interview in House health probe

Biden White House Physician Kevin O’Connor arrived for a closed-door deposition Wednesday.  The House Oversight…

14 minutes ago

State Department investigating Rubio AI impersonator who contacted US, foreign officials

The State Department is investigating an impostor who reportedly pretended to be Secretary of State…

14 minutes ago

DOJ lands legal victory as federal judge allows $800M in grants to be clawed back

The Trump administration landed a legal victory on Monday after a federal judge allowed the…

14 minutes ago