MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) – A British man was arrested in Miami Beach on Friday on six counts of illegal voting, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
British national James Ross Wightman, 65, was arrested on suspicion of voter fraud following an investigation by multiple agencies, including the FDLE Election Crimes Unit, the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE.
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“Florida upholds the rule of law in our elections, and thanks to Governor DeSantis’ leadership, anyone who attempts to vote illegally will be held to the fullest extent of the law,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. He will be held accountable.” ”
According to FDLE, Mr. Wightman was voluntarily removed from the United States in 1989 after overstaying his visitor visa after committing a drug crime in Hawaii. He falsely identified himself as a citizen on a voter registration form he submitted in November 2000 and returned to the United States.
In 2013, Wightman falsely submitted his Ohio birth certificate to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in an attempt to renew his Florida driver’s license.
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According to FDLE, the suspect used the certificate to illegally vote in six local and national elections in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
“Florida leads the nation in election security and we will continue to aggressively enforce our laws to prevent non-citizens from voting,” said Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “Under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Office of Election Crime and Security is working with FDLE and law enforcement to quickly investigate allegations of fraud and ensure that Florida law is followed. .”
Wightman was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
