A former leader during the 1994 Rwandan genocide has been indicted for immigration fraud after authorities discovered he had been living for years on Long Island, New York, working as a beekeeper, ABC News reported.
Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 61, was arrested at his home in Bridgehampton and charged with lying on his green card and US citizenship applications by concealing his role in the Rwandan genocide, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday.
Nsabumukunzi pleaded not guilty in federal court in Islip and was released on $250,000 bond with house arrest and GPS tracking, ABC News added.
“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 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. Thanks to the tenacious efforts of our investigators and prosecutors, the defendant will finally be held accountable for his brutal actions.”
Nsabumukunzi facilitated violence and genocide in Rwanda
The DOJ said Nsabumukunzi was a local leader, known as a “sector councilor,” in Rwanda in 1994 when the genocide began. During the three-month period, about 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus were killed.
Court documents say Nsabumukunzi used his leadership position to organize attacks against Tutsis. He set up roadblocks where Tutsis were captured and killed, sent armed groups to hunt down people hiding in shelters, and encouraged Hutu men to rape Tutsi women.
A Rwandan court later convicted Nsabumukunzi of genocide in absentia, the DOJ stated.
Accused of lying to immigration authorities
According to the DOJ, he entered the US in 2003 as a refugee. He later obtained a green card in 2007 and applied to become a US citizen through naturalization in 2009 and again in 2015.
Throughout those applications, Nsabumukunzi is accused of lying to immigration authorities by denying any involvement in the genocide, the government explained.
“As a result of his ongoing efforts to conceal his actions during the genocide, Nsabumukunzi has been able to live and work in the United States since 2003,” the DOJ said in a statement.
If convicted, Nsabumukunzi faces up to 30 years in prison.
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