Man charged with illegally voting set to appear in court Tuesday

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Jaymes Osborne is scheduled to appear in federal court Tuesday morning following charges tied to alleged illegal voting.

According to a federal court order, a probable cause and detention hearing is set for Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Alton Lennon Federal Building in Wilmington.

The order states Osborne will remain in custody pending the hearing and will be transported by the U.S. Marshals Service.

A federal criminal complaint filed March 23 accuses Osborne, a registered sex offender, of illegally voting while serving a felony sentence. Authorities also allege he submitted a false voter registration application in 2025.

Investigators say Osborne was on supervised release for a prior child pornography conviction at the time, which would make him ineligible to vote under North Carolina law. Officials say he falsely certified that he had completed his sentence and went on to vote in multiple elections, including in November 2024 and March 2026.

Osborne previously told WWAY he cast a ballot earlier this month in the primary election, which included a race involving his roommate, former New Hanover County school board candidate Rick Southerland.

North Carolina law prohibits people convicted of felonies from voting until their probation or supervised release period ends. According to federal authorities, Osborne remains on supervised release through January 2039.

Tuesday’s hearing will determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to proceed and whether Osborne will continue to be held in custody as the case moves forward.