Wilmington man pleads not guilty to federal charges alleging illegal voting
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man whose case drew attention because of his connection to a former New Hanover County school board candidate has pleaded not guilty to three federal charges related to allegedly making false statements while registering to vote and casting ballots.
James Osborne, 36, entered not guilty pleas to the charges in federal court.
Osborne lived with former New Hanover County school board candidate Rick Southerland, who later withdrew from the school board race after Osborne’s case became public.
A federal grand jury indicted Osborne on three counts connected to his voter registration and voting activity.
According to federal prosecutors, Osborne was not eligible to register to vote or cast ballots because he was serving supervised release for a federal felony conviction for possession of child pornography.
Prosecutors allege Osborne:
- Registered to vote on Nov. 4, 2025
- Voted in person at an elementary school polling site during the Nov. 5, 2024, presidential election
- Voted in person at a public library polling site during the Feb. 25, 2026, primary election
According to the federal complaint, Osborne falsely indicated to voting officials that he was not serving a felony sentence on each occasion.
The FBI arrested Osborne in March on a federal warrant connected to the case.
The charges stem from allegations that Osborne made false statements on voter registration or ballots in violation of federal law.
If convicted, Osborne could face up to five years in prison on each charge.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. The FBI investigated the case.
Osborne has pleaded not guilty.
