Man arrested for illegally voting in South Carolina election, US Attorney says

A man who is a legal permanent resident, but not a U.S. citizen, was indicted for illegally voting in South Carolina, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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Ekam Monfum, a 38-year-old Rock Hill resident, was charged with illegally voting as an alien, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.

The vote was not cast in Tuesday’s primary voting in South Carolina, but occurred during the 2024 election, according to the release.

In the single-count indictment, a federal grand jury said that Monfum came to the U.S. in December 2022 and obtained status as a legal permanent resident because he is married to a U.S. citizen, according to the release.

Despite not being a citizen, in August 2024, a registration to vote was submitted through the registration portal with the South Carolina Election Commission in Monfum’s name, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

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“The process requires the registrant to affirm that they are a United States citizen,” the release said. “Therefore, Monfum voted in the 2024 election.”

If convicted on the charge, Monfum faces a maximum punishment of a year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Monfum will have an arraignment scheduled in the next few weeks, according to the release.

The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potterfield is prosecuting the case. Information about Monfum’s attorney was not available.