Marva Cook is facing a federal charge of voting illegally, a development that follows her discovery that she was not born in the United States, the Associated Press reports. The 66-year-old Syracuse resident, who once starred on the Syracuse University women’s basketball team, reportedly learned about her status while searching for her biological mother. She discovered a German birth certificate during that process, which contradicted the assumption she held for 60 years that she was a citizen.
Federal prosecutors allege that while Cook has held a green card for several years, she cast ballots in recent elections despite not having citizenship. She is now charged with a single misdemeanor count of voting by an alien related to her participation in the 2022 midterms. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a fine up to $100,000, and potential deportation under federal law.
