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A Long Island man has been indicted on federal charges of immigration fraud after allegedly concealing his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
This was contained in a statement from the United States Department of Justice.
Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, of Bridgehampton, was arrested yesterday morning and appeared before US District Judge Joanna Seybert for arraignment in Central Islip, reports AFP.
Prosecutors alleged that Nsabumukunzi, a former local government official in Rwanda, misrepresented his background when applying for refugee status, permanent residency, and United States citizenship.
According to the indictment, he denied any involvement in genocide or persecution despite his documented leadership role in orchestrating violence during the 1994 massacre, which claimed an estimated 800,000 lives.
Authorities say Nsabumukunzi held the position of “Sector Councilor” in the Kibirizi region during the genocide. He is accused of directing armed groups to attack Tutsi civilians, setting up roadblocks used to identify and kill victims, and encouraging acts of rape against Tutsi women.
“As alleged, the defendant participated in the commission of heinous acts of violence abroad and then lied his way into a green card and tried to obtain US citizenship,” said Matthew Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“No matter how much time has passed, the Department of Justice will find and prosecute individuals who committed atrocities in their home countries and covered them up to gain entry and seek citizenship in the United States.
“As alleged, Nsabumukunzi repeatedly lied to conceal his involvement in the horrific Rwandan genocide while seeking to become a lawful permanent resident and citizen of the United States,” said US Attorney John Durham for the Eastern District of New York.
“For over two decades, he got away with those lies and lived in the United States with an undeserved clean slate, a luxury that his victims will never have, but thanks to the tenacious efforts of our investigators and prosecutors, the defendant finally will be held accountable for his brutal actions.”
A Rwandan court previously convicted him of genocide in absentia.
Despite this history, Nsabumukunzi entered the United States in 2003 as a refugee, obtained a green card in 2007, and later applied for naturalization in 2009 and 2015. Prosecutors claim he repeatedly lied under oath in his immigration documents.
If convicted, Nsabumukunzi faces up to 30 years in prison.
The case is being handled by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in coordination with the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Homeland Security Investigations.
