A 65-year-old Rwandan man living in Ohio has been arrested for allegedly concealing his involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi when applying for U.S. immigration benefits.
Vincent Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of visa fraud, attempted naturalization fraud, and use of a fraudulently obtained immigration document.
He was taken into custody on Wednesday and appeared in U.S. District Court in Dayton on Thursday.
According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura played a leading role in organizing mass killings in the Gihisi and Nyanza regions during the genocide, in which an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were murdered. He is accused of supplying weapons, directing attacks, and luring victims out of hiding before having them killed.
Prosecutors allege he entered the U.S. in 2009 by making false statements and later attempted to obtain citizenship through similar deception. Though his naturalization was never approved, he allegedly obtained a new green card in 2018 using false information, which he used to get an Ohio driver’s license.
“This arrest umplied that the U.S. is not a safe haven for human rights violators,” said Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
If convicted, Nzigiyimfura faces up to 30 years in prison. The investigation is being led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cincinnati and the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
Authorities are urging the public to report suspected human rights violators residing in the United States to HSI.
