A federal grand jury in Central Islip returned an indictment on April 22, which was unsealed today, charging Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, of Bridgehampton, New York, with lying on his applications for a green card and United States citizenship. The indictment alleges that Nsabumukunzi concealed his past role as a leader and perpetrator of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
According to court documents, during the Rwandan genocide, which saw the systematic killing of an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus between April and July 1994, Nsabumukunzi held the position of “Sector Counselor,” a local leadership role in Rwanda.
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The indictment alleges that in this capacity, Nsabumukunzi oversaw violence and killings of Tutsis in his area and directed armed Hutu groups to commit murder.
He is also accused of establishing roadblocks to detain and kill Tutsis and of personally participating in the killings. Court filings further reveal that Nsabumukunzi was convicted in absentia by a Rwandan court for genocide.
Nsabumukunzi was arrested this morning on Long Island and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. ET before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert for the Eastern District of New York.
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“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 U.S. citizenship,” stated Matthew R. 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.”
The indictment further alleges that Nsabumukunzi applied for refugee resettlement in the United States in 2003, received a green card in 2007, and subsequently submitted applications for naturalization in 2009 and 2015.
In these applications, he is accused of lying to U.S. immigration officials by falsely denying any involvement in the Rwandan genocide. As a result of these alleged lies, Nsabumukunzi has resided and worked in the United States since 2003.
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