The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has arrested James Ross Wightman, a 65-year-old British national, on six counts of illegal voting in local and national elections spanning from 2022 to 2024.
FDLE officials confirmed that Wightman, an illegal alien from the United Kingdom, was taken into custody on January 24 in Miami Beach and booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He faces prosecution by the Office of the State Attorney for the 11th Judicial Circuit.
FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass emphasized the state’s commitment to election integrity, attributing the arrest to the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis.
“In Florida, we uphold the rule of law in our elections,” said Glass. “Thanks to Governor DeSantis’ leadership, anyone who seeks to illegally cast their ballot will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
The investigation, led by FDLE’s Election Crime Unit (ECU), was conducted in collaboration with the Florida Department of State Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS), U.S. Department of State, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and Miami Beach Police Department assisted in Wightman’s arrest.
Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd praised the swift action by law enforcement in enforcing election laws.
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“Florida leads the nation in election security, and we continue to aggressively enforce our laws to stop non-citizens from voting,” Byrd stated. “Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, we work diligently to ensure that Florida’s election laws are followed.”
State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of election integrity.
“Voting is a civic duty for every American citizen,” said Rundle. “James Wightman knew he was not an American citizen, having previously faced deportation. His lack of citizenship did not stop him from illegally casting a vote. There is no excuse for such actions that violate Florida law and cloud our voting integrity.”
According to FDLE investigators, Wightman was previously deported from the U.S. in 1989 after a drug-related arrest in Hawaii. He overstayed his visitor visa and was granted voluntary deportation in lieu of formal proceedings.
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Despite his deportation, Wightman later returned to the United States and falsely affirmed his citizenship in a voter registration application submitted in November 2000. In 2013, he used a fictitious Ohio birth certificate to obtain a Florida driver’s license. The Ohio Department of Health confirmed no records exist for Wightman under the provided biographical details.
Investigators say Wightman proceeded to cast illegal votes in six elections between 2022 and 2024.
Wightman now faces serious legal consequences, with prosecutors from the 11th Judicial Circuit expected to seek the maximum penalties under Florida law.
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