WASHINGTON, USA – A jury has convicted Jean Morose Viliena, the former Mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, for possessing and using a Permanent Resident Card he had fraudulently obtained by falsely stating he had not ordered, carried out, or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings and other acts of violence against the Haitian people.
“[Today] a jury found that Jean Morose Viliena lied his way into gaining entrance into the United States after committing unspeakable acts of violence in Haiti,” said head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Matthew R. Galeotti. “The Justice Department will not stand for human rights violators illegally entering and roaming the streets of our communities. Thank you to the brave victims and witnesses who helped our law enforcement partners and prosecutors begin to hold Viliena accountable for his crimes.”
“The political corruption and violence that the people of Haiti endured at the direction of Jean Morose Viliena, is appalling,” said US Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “The United States is not where you come to hide from your crimes. Today’s conviction is proof that running away from your crimes and lying to federal officials will catch up to you. I applaud the courage of the witnesses who spoke up about the abuse they suffered as a result of Viliena.”
“Viliena’s horrific violence, committed both by his own hand and by armed groups he directed, made him ineligible to enter the United States,” said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol, who oversees HSI operations in all of New England. “He has now faced the consequences of lying to come to live in Massachusetts. HSI actively investigates and apprehends human rights violators who seek to escape their criminal pasts and come here, and we will not allow this country to become a safe haven for these criminals.”
Viliena was the Mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, from December 2006 until at least February 2010. As a candidate and as Mayor, Viliena was backed by a political machine called Korega, which exerted power throughout the southwestern region of Haiti through armed violence. Viliena personally supervised his mayoral staff and other armed supporters in Les Irois aligned with Korega. Under Viliena’s direct supervision, armed men enforced Viliena’s policies by various means, including by targeting individuals in Les Irois through armed violence.
As Mayor, … read more here.
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