Immigration Fraud: US Arrests Ex-Rwandan Official Over Genocide Misinformation

A Long Island resident has been indicted on federal immigration fraud charges for allegedly concealing his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.

Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, of Bridgehampton, was arrested and arraigned before U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert in Central Islip. Federal prosecutors allege that Nsabumukunzi, a former local government official in Rwanda, misrepresented his background in applications for refugee status, permanent residency, and U.S. citizenship.

According to the indictment, Nsabumukunzi denied any participation in acts of genocide or persecution despite evidence of his leadership role during the 1994 atrocities, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 800,000 people. Authorities say he served as a sector councilor in the Kibirizi region, where he allegedly directed armed attacks on Tutsi civilians, oversaw roadblocks used to identify and execute victims, and encouraged sexual violence against Tutsi women.

“As alleged, the defendant participated in heinous acts of violence abroad and then lied his way into a green card and sought U.S. citizenship,” said Matthew Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “No matter how much time has passed, the Department of Justice remains committed to holding accountable individuals who committed atrocities and used falsehoods to enter the United States.”

U.S. Attorney John Durham for the Eastern District of New York added, “For over two decades, he lived in the U.S. under a false identity, enjoying freedoms that his victims never had. Thanks to persistent investigative efforts, he will now face justice.”

A Rwandan court had previously convicted Nsabumukunzi of genocide in absentia. Despite this, he entered the U.S. in 2003 as a refugee, received a green card in 2007, and applied for naturalization in both 2009 and 2015 — all allegedly using false statements.

If convicted, Nsabumukunzi faces up to 30 years in federal prison.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in partnership with the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Homeland Security Investigations.