Prosecutors charge Marva Cook after she says she learned she was not a citizen

Cook says seeking her biological mother led to a German birth certificate

Federal prosecutors have charged Marva Cook, a 66-year-old Syracuse resident, with voting by an alien. The single federal count stems from Cook’s vote in the 2022 midterms.

Cook starred on Syracuse University’s women’s basketball team decades ago. According to the criminal complaint, she told Homeland Security investigators earlier this month that she had been adopted as a toddler and had always assumed she was a U.S. citizen.

Cook said she had searched for her biological mother and discovered that she had a German birth certificate. Her account says she learned of her lack of citizenship only recently. Federal prosecutors say Cook had held a green card for several years but cast ballots in recent elections despite not having citizenship.

The charge is a misdemeanor. If convicted, Cook could receive up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. She can also face deportation under federal law.

Cook was reached by phone Friday. She declined to discuss the criminal case, her voting record or her past efforts at becoming a citizen. She said she was “not thrilled” by her court appearance Wednesday, when she was placed in shackles despite having voluntarily turned herself in just hours earlier. “It was a difficult time,” Cook said. “I’m about kindness and service and doing for others as I want to be treated.”

Cook said she had faith in God and appreciated the outpouring of support from community members, a number of whom accompanied her to court Wednesday. “The prayers and the support is a big part of how I will get through this,” Cook said. “I have a deep faith that God will get me through it.”

Cook’s lawyer, Paul Tuck, declined to discuss details of the criminal case Friday other than to say there were no upcoming hearings or filing deadlines. Tuck said there were no pending immigration proceedings, but Cook had an immigration lawyer in the event that changes.

Spokespersons for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

The arrest is among the latest cases highlighted by the Trump administration nationwide as it searches for noncitizen voters ahead of the midterm elections. First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, whose upstate New York office is prosecuting the case, said Cook’s arrest showed “voter fraud is rampant” in the state. Other federal agencies amplified the statement on social media. The Associated Press reported, however, that the administration’s own investigations had demonstrated that such instances were “incredibly rare” and had been shown not to change the outcome of elections. The Department of Homeland Security wrote on X: “We cannot and will not allow the votes of American citizens to be canceled out by noncitizens illegally voting in our elections,” in a post that included Sarcone’s statement.

In California, federal authorities on Monday charged more than two dozen legal permanent residents with illegally casting ballots or registering to vote. Weeks earlier, 10 people were charged in Minnesota with illegally voting over the last three elections.

Cook’s supporters described her as a vital part of the local community, where she had lived nearly all of her life and had starred in college basketball. Syracuse University athletics department confirmed that Cook was the team’s leading scorer in the 1979-80 season, averaging 15 points per game. She also holds the school record for most steals in a single season.

Fred Daley, pastor at All Saints Church, said Cook is an active member of the parish and for years has been the church’s go-to Easter Bunny, dressed in full costume during the spring holiday season. “If the government wanted to make a case, they chose the wrong person,” Daley said. He also said, “She’s highly respected throughout the community.”

Dale Avers, a parishioner who has known Cook for almost 20 years, described her as a “person of service” who “never sought limelight.” Avers said Cook supports low-income families and youth as the YMCA’s community school program director. “I’m in total shock that they’re putting this much effort into this,” Avers said. “They understood the story. There was no intent. There’s no malice. There was no deception involved.”