NEWARK, N.J. — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - New Jersey), published as received.
NEWARK, N.J. – Two Passaic County men, both aliens, were each charged with illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
Morzetta, 72, an Italian national and resident of North Haledon, and Antonio Mitchell, 54, a Jamaican national and resident of Paterson, were each charged by separate complaints with voting by an alien in a federal election and unlawfully attempting to procure United States citizenship. Mitchell is also charged with an additional count of making false statements while applying for United States citizenship. Morzetta had his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre, in federal court in Newark. Mitchell had his initial appearance before Judge Wettre on October 28, 2026.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
Morzetta and Mitchell were non-citizens when they registered to vote. In their voter registration forms they each falsely certified and attested that they were United States citizens. In order to register, and to vote in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen.
Each of the defendants, still without United States citizenship, cast ballots in at least one federal election. Morzetta voted in-person in the November 2024 general election. Mitchell voted in-person in the 2022 general election. Each of those elections included candidates who were vying for election to federal offices. At the time they cast their respective ballots, Morzetta, who entered the United States from Italy on under P21 classification as the spouse of an alien resident, and Mitchell, who entered the United States from Jamaica on a B-2 visa, were not United States citizens and were therefore not authorized to vote in federal elections.
After illegally voting in federal elections, each of the defendants applied to become a United States citizen by submitting applications for naturalization (an N-400). An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information provided in the application is complete, true, and correct. In their respective N-400 applications, both Morzetta and Mitchell falsely claimed that they had never registered to vote or voted in any federal elections. Additionally, after submitting his N-400 application, Mitchell was interviewed by an Immigration Services Officer. In that interview and while under oath, Mitchell denied having registered to vote, or having voted, in any federal election.
The counts of voting by an alien, carry a maximum sentence of 1 year’s imprisonment, and a fine of up to $100,000. The counts of unlawfully attempting to procure United States citizenship carry a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The count of making false statements while applying for United States citizenship carry a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with the investigation.
This case was brought under the United States Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark McCarren and Michael K. O’Leary of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense Counsel: Patrick McMahon, AFPD
