BOSTON — A former Haitian mayor living in Massachusetts who committed “unspeakable acts of violence in Haiti” has been convicted of visa fraud for lying about his violent past to secure a green card to live in the United States, the U.S. Attorney said.
Jean Morose Viliena, 52, the former Mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, was convicted by a federal jury in Boston of three counts of visa fraud, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Friday. Chief U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 20.
Viliena was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023.
Prosecutors said Viliena “ordered and carried out brutal extrajudicial and political killings against the Haitian people” in Haiti. He later lied to immigration officials in 2008 to obtain a permanent resident card in the United States.
“The political corruption and violence that the people of Haiti endured at the direction of Jean Morose Viliena, is appalling,” Foley said. “The United States is not where you come to hide from your crimes.”
Viliena’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,” Foley said.
Until his arrest two years ago, Viliena had been living in Malden and spent much of three years driving a school bus in the region, The Boston Globe reported.
Viliena’s attorney, Jason Benzaken, argued during his closing remarks on Friday that some of the government’s witnesses were “gangsters” who falsely implicated Viliena in crimes that they had committed, the Globe reported.
“This is a very heartbreaking verdict,” Benzaken told the Globe outside the courtroom after his client was led away in handcuffs. “We believe Mr. Viliena is innocent.”
In another civil case two years ago, another jury at the US District Court in Boston found Viliena liable and ordered him to pay $15.5 million in damages to the victims and families of political opponents he allegedly killed and tortured in Haiti, the Globe reported. He is currently appealing that decision.
Federal officials commenting on Viliena’s conviction on Friday were pleased with the jury’s verdict.
“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,” Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Matthew Galeotti said in a statement.
“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,” Galeotti said.
According to court documents, Viliena was the Mayor of Les Irois, Haiti from December 2006 until February 2010.
As a candidate and as mayor, Viliena was backed by a political machine called Korega, which exerts power throughout the southwestern region of Haiti through armed violence, prosecutors said. Viliena personally supervised his mayoral staff and security detail and led an armed group in Les Irois aligned with Korega.
Under Viliena’s direct supervision, the Korega militia enforced Viliena’s policies by various means, including by targeting political opponents in Les Irois through armed violence, prosecutors said.
According to the indictment, as mayor, Viliena was involved in several instances of violence.
The first occurred around July 27, 2007 when a witness spoke at a judicial proceeding in Les Irois on behalf of a neighbor who had been assaulted by Viliena.
In reprisal for that testimony, that night, Viliena led an armed group to that witness’ home, where Viliena and his associates shot and killed the witness’ younger brother, and then smashed his skull with a large rock before a crowd of bystanders, according to the indictment.
The second incident occurred in or around April 2008, when a group of local journalists and activists founded a community radio station.
According to court documents, Viliena opposed establishment of the radio station and, on April 8, 2008, mobilized members of his staff and the Korega militia to forcibly shut down the radio station and seize its broadcasting equipment.
At that time, Viliena distributed firearms to the Korega militia members, some of whom also carried machetes and picks.
On the day of the attack on the radio station, Viliena pistol-whipped a person with his gun and struck him with his fists. When the person tried to flee, Viliena ordered one of his associates to shoot and kill him, according to court documents.
Shots were fired which hit the person in the leg. The victim spent several months in various hospitals and his leg was later amputated above his knee.
Another person, also a citizen of Haiti, became a target of Viliena because of his association with the radio station. On the day of the attack of the radio station, that person was present and when he tried to flee, he was hit by a bullet in the face. He required months of intensive medical treatment, including two surgeries to extract shotgun pellets from his face, which left him permanently blind in one eye. According to court documents, pieces of shotgun pellets remain in the victim’s scalp and arms.
Foley said on June 3, 2008, Viliena went to the U.S. Embassy Consular Office in Port au Prince, Haiti, where he submitted an Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration, Form DS-230, Part II in order to gain entry to the United States.
The form specifically requires that each applicant state whether or not they are a member of any class of individuals that are excluded from admission into the United States, including those who 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. Viliena thereafter swore to, or affirmed, before a U.S. Consular Officer that the contents of the application were true and signed the application, Foley said.
According to court documents, thereafter, on or about June 4, 2008 and based upon Viliena’s false representations in the Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Form DS-230, the U.S. Department of State approved Viliena’s DS-230 application.
On or about July 14, 2008 – as the result of the approval of his DS-230 application – Viliena gained entry into the United States. He was thereafter granted lawful permanent residence status in the United States. Viliena received a Permanent Resident Card.
Viliena has continued to possess a Permanent Resident Card and has used such card on numerous occasions to enter the United States, officials said.
“Viliena knowingly lied to conceal his violent past, deceiving immigration authorities to come to the United States. The brave witnesses who came forward to testify in this case relayed their experiences of extreme violence and oppression committed by Viliena and his associates,” Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations New England said in a statement. “Thanks to their testimony, his fraud has been uncovered and he will now face consequences for his violence and deception.”
Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office, said in a statement that “The men and women of CBP work diligently alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of the people in our communities.”
“Emigrating to the United States is a privilege and if you conceal your criminal conduct to deceive your way into this country, you will ultimately be detected, held accountable and brought to justice,” De La O said.
For the charge of visa fraud, Viliena faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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