CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley is pushing back at Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, claiming that one of the six people indicted in an illegal voting investigation is dead.
Yost announced on Tuesday that three individuals from Northeast Ohio were indicted for alleged illegal voting in previous elections. The list included North Royalton resident Ramesh Patel.
However, O'Malley's office says Patel passed away in December of 2022.
"This is one of the greatest examples of prosecutorial overreach I have ever witnessed. The practice of indicting the deceased is draconian. This is not how we would have handled this case in my office. I am calling on Ohio Attorney General David Yost to immediately dismiss this indictment," said O'Malley in a statement.
Yost's office says Patel was indicted in Cuyahoga County on one count of illegal voting after allegedly voting in 2014, 2016 and 2018 without having U.S. citizenship. His arraignment has been scheduled for Nov. 1 at 8:30 a.m.
"Prosecutor O'Malley is philosophically opposed to indicting deceased individuals who clearly have no way of defending themselves," the prosecutor's office added in its release on Wednesday.
In all, there were six Ohio residents indicted in the case, which is being handled by Yost's special prosecutors. Lorinda Miller of Hudson and Nicholas Fontaine of Kent were the other Northeast Ohio residents who were charged.
In addition, the case of an Oberlin College student was presented to a Lorain County grand jury, but a "no bill" was issued, declining to charge the individual with illegal voting.
“The right to vote is sacred,” Yost said. “If you’re not a U.S. citizen, it’s illegal to vote – whether you thought you were allowed to or not – you will be held accountable.”
According to Yost's office, illegal voting is a fourth-degree felony.