CENTRAL ISLIP, Apr 25 (AGCNewsNet) – A 65-year-old Long Island resident, Faustin Nsabumukunzi, was arrested Thursday and charged with concealing his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide to obtain U.S. immigration benefits, federal prosecutors announced.

Nsabumukunzi, a gardener living in Bridgehampton, allegedly hid his position as a local leader during the genocide that claimed the lives of an estimated 800,000 Tutsis. According to the unsealed indictment, he misrepresented his background in refugee, green card, and citizenship applications dating back to 2003.

At his initial court appearance in Central Islip, Nsabumukunzi pleaded not guilty to charges of visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud. He was granted a $250,000 bail package that includes home detention and GPS monitoring, though he is permitted to continue working.

His attorney, Evan Sugar, described Nsabumukunzi as “a law-abiding beekeeper and gardener” who has lived peacefully in the U.S. for over two decades. Sugar added that his client was also a victim of the genocide and intends to “fight these 30-year-old allegations” while asserting his innocence.

However, prosecutors argue that witness testimony paints a very different picture. They allege that Nsabumukunzi publicly assured Tutsis of safety at the onset of the genocide, only to privately incite Hutus to violence. Witnesses claim he not only oversaw killings within his administrative jurisdiction but also encouraged the use of sexual violence as a weapon against Tutsi women.

When agents confronted him during his arrest, Nsabumukunzi reportedly said, “I know I’m finished.”

The indictment further reveals that a Rwandan court previously convicted him of genocide in absentia, sentencing him to life imprisonment. U.S. authorities say he was directly involved in setting up roadblocks and orchestrating the capture and murder of Tutsis during the genocide.

Despite having obtained refugee status in 2003, a green card in 2007, and applying twice for U.S. citizenship—in 2009 and again in 2015—Nsabumukunzi consistently denied any role in the genocide.

“This individual committed heinous acts of violence abroad and then lied his way into a green card and tried to obtain U.S. citizenship,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

U. S. Attorney John J. Durham added, “For over two decades, he got away with those lies and lived in the United States with an undeserved clean slate—a luxury that his victims will never have.”

Stay connected with AGC NewsNet for the latest news from Africa.