CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — A 65-year-old Bridgehampton resident was arrested Tuesday morning for allegedly concealing his leadership role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide while applying for U.S. immigration benefits, federal prosecutors announced.
Faustin Nsabumukunzi was indicted by a federal grand jury in Central Islip on April 22 and charged with visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud for allegedly lying on applications for refugee resettlement, permanent residency, and citizenship. Nsabumukunzi is accused of using his position as a “Sector Counselor” during the genocide to help organize and carry out atrocities, including directing armed Hutu groups to kill Tutsis and setting up roadblocks used to detain and execute victims.
Key Points
- Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, is accused of hiding his role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide on U.S. immigration forms.
- He allegedly led and participated in violent attacks on Tutsis while holding a local government position in Rwanda.
- Nsabumukunzi has lived in the U.S. since 2003 and faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors allege years of deception
According to court documents, Nsabumukunzi applied for refugee resettlement in 2003, received a green card in 2007, and filed for U.S. citizenship in 2009 and again in 2015. Prosecutors say he repeatedly lied to federal authorities by denying involvement in any acts of genocide or persecution.
During the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, approximately 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed over a three-month span. Prosecutors allege Nsabumukunzi used his official authority to oversee the violence in his region, including participating in the killings directly. He was convicted in absentia for genocide by a Rwandan court.
“As alleged, Nsabumukunzi repeatedly lied to conceal his involvement in the horrific Rwandan genocide,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York.
ICE and DOJ say U.S. won’t shelter war criminals
Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren B. McCormack of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York emphasized the agency’s commitment to exposing human rights violators: “The depraved conduct of which the defendant is accused represent the worst of humanity.”
The U.S. Department of Justice noted that its pursuit of human rights violators remains a priority, even decades after the original offenses. If convicted, Nsabumukunzi faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison.
He was scheduled to appear for arraignment Tuesday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert in Central Islip.
Federal indictment follows long investigation
The charges against Nsabumukunzi include one count of visa fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a) and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1425. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
Federal officials said that efforts to locate and prosecute individuals accused of war crimes abroad but hiding in the U.S. will continue aggressively, regardless of the time elapsed since the alleged crimes.
Long Island man lived decades in U.S. after allegedly leading deadly attacks in Rwandan genocide.