A 65-year-old man living in New York reportedly told federal agents, “I know I’m finished,” as he was arrested Thursday for allegedly concealing his leadership role during the 1994 Rwandan genocide in his applications for a green card and U.S. citizenship, according to prosecutors.
Faustin Nsabumukunzi, a resident of Bridgehampton, is accused of hiding his position as a local leader when the genocide, which claimed the lives of approximately 800,000 Tutsis over the course of three months, began. His indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip, Long Island.
At his initial court appearance, Nsabumukunzi pleaded not guilty to charges of visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud. He was released on a $250,000 bail package that includes home detention and GPS monitoring. Despite the restrictions, he has been permitted to continue working as a gardener.
Evan Sugar, Nsabumukunzi’s attorney, defended his client in a statement, describing him as “a law-abiding beekeeper and gardener who has lived on Long Island for more than two decades.”
Prosecutors: New York Man Hid Role in Rwanda Genocide, Lied to Gain U.S. Citizenship
Federal prosecutors have accused Faustin Nsabumukunzi, a 65-year-old New York man, of lying about his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide to gain entry and citizenship in the United States. In a detention memo filed by prosecutors, witness accounts paint a disturbing picture of Nsabumukunzi’s alleged dual role during the genocide.
According to the memo, witnesses who knew Nsabumukunzi in Rwanda said he publicly reassured Tutsis at the start of the genocide that they would be safe. However, behind closed doors, he allegedly incited Hutus to begin attacking and killing Tutsis.
Witnesses also claimed that Nsabumukunzi directly participated in killings, including some that took place inside his administrative offices.
During his arrest on Thursday morning, authorities said Nsabumukunzi responded to the charges by saying, “I know I’m finished.”
The indictment reveals that Nsabumukunzi had already been tried and convicted of genocide in absentia by a Rwandan court, which sentenced him to life in prison. The court found that he used his position of authority to orchestrate killings and set up roadblocks to capture and execute Tutsis in his region.
Despite that conviction, Nsabumukunzi applied for refugee status in the United States in 2003. He was granted a green card in 2007 and went on to apply for U.S. citizenship twice—in 2009 and 2015. Prosecutors say he falsely stated on those applications that he had not been involved in the genocide.