A former mayor in Haiti who helped perform political killings has been sentenced within the Bay State for immigration fraud.
Jean Morose Viliena, 53, was sentenced in Boston federal courtroom on Friday for illegally acquiring a Inexperienced Card by mendacity, in keeping with the U.S. Lawyer’s workplace.
When Viliena got here to the U.S., he lied that he had not ordered or carried out extrajudicial and political killings in opposition to the Haitian individuals. He was convicted earlier this yr of three counts of visa fraud.
On Friday, he was sentenced to 9 years in jail and three years of supervised launch. He’s topic to deportation proceedings on the finish of his sentence.
“Jean Morose Viliena built a life in the United States by burying the truth about his violent past – a past marked by political persecution, bloodshed and the silencing of dissent in Haiti,” Massachusetts U.S. Lawyer Leah Foley stated in an announcement. “For greater than a decade, he lived freely and comfortably on this nation whereas the victims of his brutality lived in concern, exile and ache.
“Today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for the lives he shattered and sends a clear message: the United States will not be a safe haven for human rights abusers,” Foley added. “Lying to gain entry into this country and then lying again under oath to avoid accountability, strikes at the heart of our immigration and legal systems. I commend the tremendous courage of the victims and witnesses who stood up and spoke the truth, despite the risks, and made this outcome possible.”
Viliena was the mayor of Les Irois, Haiti from 2006 to 2010. As a candidate and as mayor, Viliena was backed by a political machine referred to as Korega, which exerts energy all through the southwestern area of Haiti by means of armed violence.
Viliena supervised his mayoral workers and safety element, and led an armed group in Les Irois aligned with Korega. Underneath Viliena’s direct supervision, the Korega militia enforced Viliena’s insurance policies by varied means — together with by focusing on political opponents in Les Irois by means of armed violence.
As mayor, Viliena was concerned in a number of situations of violence, the feds stated. The primary occurred in July 2007 when a witness spoke at a judicial continuing in Les Irois on behalf of a neighbor who had been assaulted by Viliena.
In response to that testimony, Viliena led an armed group to that witness’ dwelling, the place Viliena and his associates shot and killed the witness’ youthful brother, after which smashed his cranium with a big rock earlier than a crowd of bystanders.
“In Haiti, Jean Morose Viliena was involved in the violent killings, beatings, and assaults of whomever he believed threatened his power as mayor,” stated Matthew Galeotti, head of the Justice Division’s Legal Division. “His lies to U.S. immigration authorities allowed him to unlawfully enter this nation and acquire lawful everlasting resident standing.
“Individuals who commit violent crimes in their home countries should take note: we do not tolerate human rights abusers who lie to take refuge here,” he added. “We will find you, investigate you, and prosecute you to ensure that you are held accountable to the maximum extent of U.S. law for your heinous criminal conduct.”
On June 3, 2008, Viliena offered himself on the U.S. Embassy Consular Workplace in Port au Prince, Haiti the place he submitted an utility for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration, Kind DS-230, Half II to achieve entry to the U.S.
The shape requires that every applicant state whether or not or not they’re a member of any class of people which are excluded from admission into the U.S., together with those that have “ordered, carried out or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings and other acts of violence against the Haitian people.” Viliena falsely responded that he was not.
Then in July 2008, as the results of the approval of his DS-230 utility, Viliena gained entry into the U.S. and was granted lawful everlasting residence standing.
A civil lawsuit was filed in opposition to him in 2017, alleging varied violations beneath the Torture Sufferer Safety Act and Alien Tort Statute. Then in 2023, a jury discovered him chargeable for the extrajudicial killing of Ecclesiaste Boniface, and the tried extrajudicial killing and torture of Juders Yseme and Nissage Martyr. The plaintiffs have been awarded $11 million in punitive damages.
