Denis Bouchard pleads guilty to falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, voting illegally

Denis Bouchard, 70, who has lived in the Wilmington area since the 1960s, pleads guilty in Raleigh federal court to two federal counts for falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to register and vote in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential election. Prosecutors say the votes at issue were cast in New Hanover and Pender counties; the plea exposes Bouchard to up to five years in prison on each count, or up to 10 years if sentences are consecutive.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton handling the matter. U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle, whose office brought the charges, stressed the deterrent message from the prosecution, saying the case demonstrates noncitizens who attempt to vote illegally will be prosecuted and emphasizing, "every single vote counts." Boyle also added, "Every eligible citizen should have confidence that an alien voting illegally will get sniffed and prosecuted."

Court filings and local reporting show Bouchard certified on voter registration applications that he was a United States citizen despite never obtaining citizenship. WRAL reported prosecutors alleged he has voted in New Hanover and Pender County elections over the past 20 years, but prosecutors limited criminal charges to actions in 2022 and 2024. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney noted some federal felonies have five-year statutes of limitations but did not offer further explanation for the narrower charging window.

State and federal officials described close cooperation in the investigation. FBI leaders framed the inquiry as part of broader election protection work, with the FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis saying election security is a top priority and that the bureau will investigate anyone who tries to undermine the democratic process. State Board of Elections leadership praised the joint work: Sam Hayes said the conviction reflects strong cooperation between state and federal officials to protect election integrity and that the board will continue investigating any credible claims of voter fraud to ensure voters have confidence in the system.

Court documents did not list defense counsel for Bouchard, and efforts to reach him were unsuccessful; a Wilmington attorney who previously represented someone by the same name did not respond to requests for information. The public record available at filing does not specify the statutory citations, the date of the plea hearing, or whether any sentence recommendations were part of a plea agreement.

The prosecution was filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina and heard in federal court in Raleigh. Local election officials in New Hanover and Pender counties, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are the next likely sources for any additional documents such as the information or plea agreement that would show charging statutes, exact plea date, and any scheduled sentencing hearing.