A Chinese national living in Massachusetts has been arrested after federal prosecutors accused him of registering and voting in the 2024 presidential election under another man’s identity. Yupeng Sun, 33, allegedly impersonated a lawful permanent resident who was also a Chinese national, cast a ballot in his name, and later tried to report the victim for voting illegally. Federal authorities charged Sun with one count of fraudulent voter registration and one count of fraudulent voting.
Sun, a resident of Andover, Massachusetts, was arrested on Wednesday, August 19th, and ordered to appear in federal court in Boston. The charges stem from an early-voting ballot cast at Malden City Hall shortly before the November 2024 presidential election. Prosecutors said Sun’s alleged scheme extended beyond the ballot and included fraudulent immigration filings targeting the victim and his wife.
According to court filings, Sun allegedly submitted an online voter-registration application through the Massachusetts secretary of state’s website on October 10th, 2024. The application contained the victim’s name, former Malden address, and Massachusetts driver’s license number. On October 31st, a man identifying himself as the victim appeared at Malden City Hall, received an early-voting ballot, signed the victim’s name under penalty of perjury, and cast the ballot. State voting records reportedly show that the ballot was accepted.
As the Washington Examiner reported, the alleged scheme took another turn in April and May 2026. Sun allegedly sent several anonymous tips to Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services accusing the victim of casting the illegal ballot. One tip stated, “The subject illegally voted in the 2024 U.S. presidential election,” before adding, “He is not a U.S. citizen but a permanent resident.”
Federal prosecutors said investigators eventually concluded that the man named in those tips was the victim rather than the person responsible. The Justice Department said Sun had also allegedly impersonated the victim and his wife on immigration forms requesting that their lawful permanent-resident status be abandoned. When the couple returned from an international trip through Boston’s Logan Airport in June 2024, authorities confiscated their Green Cards and placed them in removal proceedings. An immigration judge restored their status in January 2026 after finding their testimony credible.
The federal complaint identified Sun as a former tenant of the victim’s family who had access to their personal information after helping them complete English-language paperwork. Sun had been arrested in May 2023 on an assault-and-battery charge involving the couple’s adult daughter, although that charge was dismissed in September 2024. The family told immigration authorities that its relationship with Sun had soured and alleged that the fraudulent documents were filed in retaliation. Court filings said a forensic document examiner concluded that the couple had not signed the forms surrendering their immigration status.
Investigators interviewed Sun outside his Andover residence on July 23rd, 2026. According to the complaint, Sun acknowledged that he had submitted the anonymous reports and told investigators, “I went to post office and, uh, to report the father vote.” When shown the victim’s registration information, Sun allegedly said, “I tell you the truth, I register.” Investigators then showed him a photograph of the early-ballot envelope, and Sun allegedly responded, “I used his name to vote.”
"*" indicates required fields
Roughly two hours after the interview, Sun allegedly texted one of the investigators, “I know I have a high chance to be charged.” Prosecutors said records associated with Sun’s electronic devices also connected him to internet searches for tracking numbers attached to the anonymous reports. Each of the two voter-fraud charges carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sun could also face deportation after completing any sentence imposed.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told the Washington Examiner that the administration would continue pursuing noncitizens accused of participating in American elections. “Our message to aliens who vote in American elections is clear: we will find you, arrest you, and you will face the consequences,” Bis said. “Only Americans should be electing American leaders.”