The federal grand jury indictment, issued by Homeland Security Investigations, accuses Chaudhari of signing a voter signature certificate on November 5, 2024, affirming U.S. citizenship while he was an Indian national.
Minnesota law requires every registered voter to submit such a certificate; violating the requirement is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1471, punishable by up to five years per count.
HSI St. Paul Special Agent Travis Pickard said, "We will continue working with local partners to protect the election system from unlawful voting."
If convicted, Chaudhari faces a maximum of ten years in prison and a potential fine of $250,000; the case is slated for trial on December 12.
The indictment comes amid a broader investigation that has identified 1,200 noncitizens attempting to register in Minnesota's 2024 elections, prompting state officials to tighten scrutiny.
The case underscores the state's renewed focus on election integrity after last year's contested results.