An Andover man faces federal charges alleging he impersonated another man to register and vote in the 2024 presidential election.
A federal grand jury indicted Yupeng Sun, 33, on Thursday, Sept. 3, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Massachusetts. Sun, a Chinese national, faces one count of fraudulent voter registration and one count of fraudulent voting. Each charge carries up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
The Andover Police Department and the Lexington Police Department assisted in the investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England led the case.
Sun had rented a room from the victim's family and had access to their personal information, according to New Bedford Guide. The victim is another Chinese national who holds lawful permanent resident status in Massachusetts.
Prosecutors allege Sun submitted an online voter registration on Oct. 10, 2024, through the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's website using the victim's identity. On Oct. 31, 2024, he allegedly cast an early-voting ballot at Malden City Hall. Massachusetts voter records list the ballot as accepted.
Alleged identity scheme went beyond voting
The charges stem from a broader alleged identity scheme. In April 2024, Sun allegedly filed fraudulent forms with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in the names of the victim and his wife, requesting to abandon their lawful permanent resident status, according to a USCIS news release.
When the couple returned from an international trip in June 2024, they were subjected to secondary inspection at Boston's Logan Airport, had their green cards confiscated and were placed into removal proceedings. An immigration judge restored their status in January 2026 after finding their testimony credible and reviewing forensic evidence that they had not signed the forms.
In April and May 2026, Sun allegedly submitted anonymous tips to federal immigration authorities accusing the victim of voting illegally, according to court filings cited by Fox News. During a July 2026 interview with federal investigators, Sun allegedly acknowledged the registration and the vote. "I used his name to vote," Sun told investigators, according to the criminal complaint.
Arrest, release and next steps
HSI New England arrested Sun on Aug. 19 on a criminal complaint. He was released on conditions. Sun entered the United States in September 2020 on a B-2 tourist visa that expired in March 2021.
No attorney for Sun is listed in available court records, and no defense response appears in public filings as of publication.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley and Jeff Grimming, acting special agent in charge of HSI New England, announced the indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Sun is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Boston, though no date has been set. He is also subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.
Residents with information about election fraud can contact the FBI's Boston Field Office at 857-386-2000.
