KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Canadian citizen who federal prosecutors say spent roughly four decades in Tennessee living under an American man’s identity, and voting in that name, has pleaded not guilty to an 11-count federal indictment.
Gregory Allan Porter, 67, of Sevierville, entered his plea Friday, Oct. 30, in front of a federal magistrate judge and was ordered held in custody. His trial is set to begin Jan. 5, 2027, in federal court in Knoxville. A grand jury returned the indictment on Oct. 21.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Porter crossed into the country unlawfully around 1984 and began using the identity of a U.S. citizen. Over the years, prosecutors allege, he used that name to get a birth certificate, a Social Security number, Tennessee driver’s licenses and U.S. passports, and he cast ballots in numerous state, local and federal elections.
The charges include three counts of voting by an alien, two counts of making a false statement on a passport application, three counts of passport misuse, and one count each of aggravated identity theft, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship and misusing a Social Security number.
Most counts carry possible prison terms of one to 10 years if he is convicted, plus up to three years of supervised release. The identity theft charge adds a mandatory two years that by law must run after any other sentence.
Federal investigators worked with the Tennessee Highway Patrol on the probe. An indictment is only an accusation, and Porter is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Section: More Nashville TN crime news
Filed under: Nashville TN Crime News
