The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has joined the investigation of Coldwater Mayor Jose Ceballos on charges that he committed voter fraud and perjury by claiming to be a U.S. citizen and voting in elections for the past quarter-century. His attorney said his client possessed a green card and was considered a permanent resident
Ceballos won his second term on November 4th as mayor of the Comanche County town, only to be arrested the next day by Kansas authorities and charged with six felonies: three for voting illegally and three for perjury.
DHS has provided documentation of the alleged crimes, showing he claimed to be a U.S. citizen on a 1999 voter registration form, then signed the form under penalty of perjury:
Ceballos’s attorney, Jess Hoeme, told the Topeka Capital-Journal that Ceballos, now 55, came to the U.S. as a four-year-old with his stepfather and eventually settled in Coldwater. Ceballos applied for U.S. citizenship in February of this year. “He did not believe in any way that he was committing a crime. If he had known it was illegal to vote, he would’ve never voted,” Hoeme said.
DHS also revealed he was convicted of battery in 1995.
Tricia McLaughlin is spokesperson for DHS:
“This alien committed a felony by voting in American elections. If convicted, he will be placed in removal proceedings. President Trump and Secretary Noem gave states access to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to ensure only Americans vote in American elections. The SAVE program is a critical tool for state and local governments to safeguard the integrity of elections across the country. Our elections belong to American citizens, not foreign citizens.”
