A Canadian citizen living in North Carolina has pleaded guilty to illegally voting in US elections after falsely claiming to be a US citizen, federal prosecutors said.Denis Bouchard, 70, admitted in federal court that he falsely claimed he was a US citizen on voter registration applications to vote in the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential election.Prosecutors said Bouchard has lived in the United States since the 1960s but never obtained U.S. citizenship.Court records show that Bouchard had registered to vote in North Carolina and certified that he was a US citizen, which allowed him to vote in federal elections. Federal law allows only US citizens to vote in federal elections.Prosecutors said Bouchard voted in the 2022 congressional election and again in the 2024 presidential election. According to court documents, both votes were cast after falsely claiming citizenship on a voter registration form.Bouchard now faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. Each count of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison.Investigators believe Bouchard may have voted in elections in New Hanover and Pender counties for several years, possibly as far back as two decades. However, he was charged only for actions related to the 2022 and 2024 elections. A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said some federal crimes have a five-year statute of limitations, which may limit how old charges can be filed.U.S. Attorney Alice Boyle said in a statement that illegal voting by noncitizens undermines confidence in elections. He said investigators and election officials worked together to identify the case.