DOJ Charges Three Los Angeles-Area Residents Over False Statements in Naturalization Cases

A federal grand jury in Santa Ana indicted three Los Angeles County residents on October 27, 2026, on charges tied to statements in their naturalization applications. Prosecutors allege each denied prior claims to U.S. citizenship or voter registration.

The indictments name Sulema de León, Rouzbeh Seyamaknejad and Butleng Taing. Each is charged separately with making a false statement under oath on a naturalization application.

The six-person figure refers to a separate statewide count of people facing misdemeanor noncitizen-voting charges. It does not describe the number indicted in the Los Angeles County cases.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California says a conviction could bring up to five years in federal prison. An indictment is an accusation, and all three defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The alleged denials differed from one application to another

Prosecutors say each defendant denied ever claiming U.S. citizenship or registering to vote. The allegations and dates differ by case:

• Sulema de León, 35, a Mexican national from Long Beach, allegedly made false declarations on her naturalization application in September 2019. Prosecutors say she registered to vote in June 2013 and voted in the November 2020 general election.
• Rouzbeh Seyamaknejad, 63, a Canadian national from Rancho Palos Verdes, allegedly made false declarations in a January 2024 application. Prosecutors say he registered to vote in December 2018.
• Butleng Taing, 43, a Cambodian national from Long Beach, allegedly made false declarations in an August 2025 application. Prosecutors say he registered in July 2021 and voted in November 2022 and November 2024.

Those voting histories are allegations in the cases, not findings of guilt. The October 27 release does not identify statute numbers or give separate court filing dates. It identifies a federal grand jury in Santa Ana; court records would provide the filing details and later case developments.

The indictments followed a wider California operation

The three defendants also appeared in a Justice Department announcement about a statewide operation on October 19, 2026. The department said 28 people had been charged and 11 arrested. It identified all 28 as lawful permanent residents, who are not U.S. citizens and cannot vote in U.S. elections.

The department said six people would face misdemeanor charges of voting as noncitizens. The other 22 faced combinations of felony charges, including allegations involving naturalization applications or voter-registration forms. The three later indicted in Santa Ana were among the people named in the earlier announcement.

The operation unfolded amid a dispute over voter-roll checks. The Justice Department said it gave California a list of more than 20,000 people it described as likely noncitizen registrants and sued after the state declined to set aside ballots pending confirmation of citizenship. California, which has more than 23 million registered voters, has argued that the administration’s estimates are “likely significantly inflated.”

First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said the office would continue pursuing election-fraud cases. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the Santa Ana cases, and Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Wheat and Minjae Kim are prosecuting them.

Earlier defendant says he did not know he had registered

José Antonio Bañuelos-Díaz, charged in the October 19 operation, said he had no memory of registering to vote. Prosecutors had not accused him of casting a ballot, and he was released after his arrest. His case is separate from the three October 27 indictments.

California driver’s-license applicants are prompted to register to vote, a process Bañuelos-Díaz recalled encountering. He said: “I have never voted because I know I can’t vote. If there was a mistake, they should have called me out right away, not 20 years later.”

Readers can check the Justice Department’s October 27 release for the named allegations. Court records are the place to confirm statutory citations, filing dates and subsequent developments in the cases.

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.