Khalwinder Singh Bhengura

Introduction

Khalwinder Singh Bhengura, a citizen of India and lawful permanent resident of the United States, was convicted by a federal jury on October 27, 2026 of voting by an alien in a federal election and of making a false claim of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. The verdict, returned after a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman in the Northern District of Texas, stems from a 2024 Texas driver license application on which Bhengura falsely confirmed he was a citizen and from his in-person vote in the November 5, 2024 general election in Arlington. He has never applied for citizenship.

Background Information

According to evidence presented at trial, Bhengura became a lawful permanent resident of the United States on June 29, 2022. He is not a U.S. citizen and has never applied for citizenship. On August 1, 2024, he applied for a Texas driver license in Tarrant County, checking boxes on the application stating that he was a U.S. citizen and wished to register to vote. Based on that application, he was registered to vote in Texas. His case was one of several federal prosecutions arising from unlawful voting in the November 2024 election, brought separately in different states — among them Mohammad Hachibur Rahman, a Bangladesh national charged in Maryland over the same election.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Convicted; sentencing pending. A federal jury convicted Bhengura on October 27, 2026 after a two-day trial before Judge Mark T. Pittman. The conviction is a matter of court record. Sentencing is set for February 11, 2027.

On November 5, 2024, Bhengura voted in person at the East Library and Recreation Center in Arlington, Texas, in a general election that included races for President, Vice President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives. The jury heard evidence of the driver license application on which he falsely confirmed U.S. citizenship, the voter registration that followed from it, and the county’s voter records showing his ballot cast in the 2024 general election. After deliberating for several hours, the jury returned its verdict on October 27, convicting him on both counts: voting by an alien in a federal election, and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship to register to vote.

Public Reaction and Consequences

“Voting in our national elections is reserved for US citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas. “Every unlawful vote undermines the voices of eligible citizens, and this office will hold accountable anyone who undermines our elections. This verdict reflects the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence and our commitment to protecting the integrity of the electoral process in North Texas.” Bhengura faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the false statement of citizenship made to register, and up to one year imprisonment and a maximum fine of $100,000 for voting by an alien in a federal election. He could also be subject to immigration penalties such as removal from the United States after he serves his term of imprisonment. The HSI Dallas field office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Election Integrity Unit of the Texas Office of the Attorney General and the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Capoccia and Colin Duffy, from the Fort Worth Division, prosecuted the case.

Current Status

Bhengura stands convicted on both counts following the October 27, 2026 verdict. Sentencing is set for February 11, 2027, before Judge Pittman. Beyond whatever sentence is imposed — up to five years and a $250,000 fine on the false-citizenship count, and up to one year and a $100,000 fine on the alien-voting count — he could face removal from the United States after serving his term of imprisonment. The release records no appeal.

Impact on Their Career/Life

The conviction settles the central fact of the case — a noncitizen voted in a presidential election after declaring on a license application that he was a citizen — and turns the months ahead toward sentencing. For a lawful permanent resident who never applied for citizenship, the consequences reach past the courtroom: imprisonment of up to five years and fines reaching into the six figures, and the prospect of removal from the country where he has held resident status since June 2022. What remains is a February 11, 2027 sentencing hearing and an immigration aftermath the release says may follow it.

Sources

• U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, “Federal jury finds Indian national guilty of unlawfully voting in 2024 Presidential Election,” October 28, 2026 — source