Latest news with #FaustinNsabumukunzi
The Guardian
25-04-2025
- The Guardian
New York beekeeper accused of concealing role in Rwanda genocide
A New York beekeeper who has been in the US for decades has been accused of concealing a leadership role in the genocide in Rwanda in the mid-90s, prosecutors have said in documents. The man told federal agents: 'I know I'm finished' when he was arrested on Thursday on charges that he hid his past when he applied for for a green card and US citizenship, according to the prosecution in the case. Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, was charged with covering up from US authorities his role as a local leader in Rwanda when the genocide began in 1994. An estimated 800,000 Tutsis were killed during the three-month-long genocide. The indictment of the Bridgehampton man was unsealed in Central Islip on Long Island, the suburban district to the east of New York City. At an initial court appearance, Nsabumukunzi pleaded not guilty to visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud and was released on $250,000 bail. The bail package requires home detention and GPS monitoring, but he will be allowed to continue working as a gardener. Evan Sugar, a lawyer for Nsabumukunzi, described his client in an email as 'a law-abiding beekeeper and gardener who has lived on Long Island for more than two decades'. He said Nsabumukunzi was 'a victim of the Rwandan genocide who lost scores of family members and friends to the violence'. Sugar said Nsabumukunzi was rightfully granted refugee status and lawful permanent residence and planned to 'fight these 30-year-old allegations' while maintaining his innocence. In a detention memo, prosecutors said interviews of witnesses who knew him in Rwanda indicated that Nsabumukunzi falsely assured Tutsis at public meetings when the genocide began that they would be protected. But, they said, Nsabumukunzi in private meetings urged Hutus to begin killing Tutsis, the memo says. Prosecutors said witnesses told them that Nsabumukunzi not only participated in the killing of Tutsis, including in his administrative offices, but he also encouraged Hutu men to rape Tutsi women as a genocidal tool. Prosecutors said that when the charges were described to Nsabumukunzi as he was arrested on Thursday morning, he responded: 'I know I'm finished.' According to the indictment, Nsabumukunzi was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted on genocide charges in absentia by a Rwandan court. He'd been accused of using his leadership position to oversee the killings of Tutsis in his local area. He allegedly set up roadblocks during the genocide to detain and kill Tutsis and participated in killings, the indictment says. In 2003, Nsabumukunzi applied to settle in the US as a refugee and received a green card in 2007 before applying for citizenship in 2009 and 2015, authorities said. In his applications, they added, he falsely asserted that he was not involved in the genocide. Matthew Galeotti, head of the justice department's criminal division, said in a release that Nsabumukunzi participated in 'heinous acts of violence abroad and then lied his way into a green card and tried to obtain US citizenship'.
Saudi Gazette
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Rwandan beekeeper arrested in US over genocide charges
WASHINGTON — A Rwandan beekeeper living in the US has been arrested over his alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide in his country. Faustin Nsabumukunzi is accused of committing "heinous acts of violence abroad" when he served as a local leader at the start of genocide, the Justice Department said. The 65-year-old suspect was also charged with visa fraud and attempted naturalisation fraud when he moved to the US in 2003. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail. "Nsabumukunzi repeatedly lied to conceal his involvement in the horrific Rwandan genocide while seeking to become a lawful permanent resident and citizen of the United States," said John Durham, a federal prosecutor. In just 100 days in 1994, about 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda by ethnic Hutu extremists. The mainly Tutsi forces who took power following the genocide were alleged to have killed thousands of Hutu people in Rwanda in is alleged to have set up roadblocks during the genocide to detain and kill Tutsis and to have participated in killings, prosecutors said, citing witnesses."Nsabumukunzi used his leadership position to oversee the violence and killings of Tutsis in his local area and directed groups of armed Hutus to kill Tutsis," the federal prosecutors was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison in absentia by a Rwandan genocide court, according to US legal suspect was arrested on Thursday at his home in Bridgehampton, New York, where he had settled as a gardener and beekeeper in an exclusive enclave on Long Island, according to the US said he had lied to US officials in his immigration application, including by falsely denying any involvement as a perpetrator of the Rwandan genocide when he sought refugee status in allegedly repeated those lies in his subsequent applications for a green card and naturalization."For over two decades, he got away with those lies and lived in the United States with an undeserved clean slate," said prosecutors in the Eastern District of New pleaded not guilty and was released on a bond of $250,000 (£188,000).The bail package requires home detention and GPS monitoring, but he will be allowed to continue working as a faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, if Rwanda, Nsabumukunzi oversaw 150 beekeepers and 1,500 hives, according to the New York Times which profiled him in the US, he oversaw about 100 hives for the Hamptons Honey Company, which had hired him to scale up its production, the report Alfaya, the owner of Hamptons Honey since 2009, said he was unaware that Nsabumukunzi had worked for the company and had never met him, the New York Times lawyer, Evan Sugar, described his client as "a law-abiding beekeeper and gardener", in an interview with the AP news lawyer said Nsabumukunzi was "a victim of the Rwandan genocide who lost scores of family members and friends to the violence".He said his client was rightfully granted refugee status and lawful permanent residence and planned to "fight these 30-year-old allegations" while maintaining his people who fled Rwanda to other countries have been arrested on charges related to the killings, as the East African country continues to pursue more genocide suspects from their safe havens abroad. — BBC
25-04-2025
Rwandan genocide leader arrested in the Hamptons
Faustin Nsabumukunzi, an alleged Rwandan genocide leader, was arrested in the Hamptons on immigration fraud charges.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rwandan beekeeper arrested in US over genocide charges
A Rwandan beekeeper living in the US has been arrested over his alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide in his country. Faustin Nsabumukunzi is accused of committing "heinous acts of violence abroad" when he served as a local leader at the start of genocide, the Justice Department said. The 65-year-old suspect was also charged with visa fraud and attempted naturalisation fraud when he moved to the US in 2003. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail. "Nsabumukunzi repeatedly lied to conceal his involvement in the horrific Rwandan genocide while seeking to become a lawful permanent resident and citizen of the United States," said John Durham, a federal prosecutor. In just 100 days in 1994, about 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda by ethnic Hutu extremists. The mainly Tutsi forces who took power following the genocide were alleged to have killed thousands of Hutu people in Rwanda in retaliation. Rwanda genocide: World failed us in 1994, President Paul Kagame says Nsabumukunzi is alleged to have set up roadblocks during the genocide to detain and kill Tutsis and to have participated in killings, prosecutors said, citing witnesses. "Nsabumukunzi used his leadership position to oversee the violence and killings of Tutsis in his local area and directed groups of armed Hutus to kill Tutsis," the federal prosecutors said. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison in absentia by a Rwandan genocide court, according to US legal papers. The suspect was arrested on Thursday at his home in Bridgehampton, New York, where he had settled as a gardener and beekeeper in an exclusive enclave on Long Island, according to the US media. Prosecutors said he had lied to US officials in his immigration application, including by falsely denying any involvement as a perpetrator of the Rwandan genocide when he sought refugee status in 2003. He allegedly repeated those lies in his subsequent applications for a green card and naturalisation. "For over two decades, he got away with those lies and lived in the United States with an undeserved clean slate," said prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a bond of $250,000 (£188,000). The bail package requires home detention and GPS monitoring, but he will be allowed to continue working as a gardener. Nsabumukunzi faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, if convicted. In Rwanda, Nsabumukunzi oversaw 150 beekeepers and 1,500 hives, according to the New York Times which profiled him in 2006. In the US, he oversaw about 100 hives for the Hamptons Honey Company, which had hired him to scale up its production, the report said. Gabriel Alfaya, the owner of Hamptons Honey since 2009, said he was unaware that Nsabumukunzi had worked for the company and had never met him, the New York Times reported. Nsabumukunzi's lawyer, Evan Sugar, described his client as "a law-abiding beekeeper and gardener", in an interview with the AP news agency. The lawyer said Nsabumukunzi was "a victim of the Rwandan genocide who lost scores of family members and friends to the violence". He said his client was rightfully granted refugee status and lawful permanent residence and planned to "fight these 30-year-old allegations" while maintaining his innocence. Several people who fled Rwanda to other countries have been arrested on charges related to the killings, as the East African country continues to pursue more genocide suspects from their safe havens abroad. BBC reporter returns home to Rwanda - 30 years after genocide Rwanda genocide: 100 days of slaughter 'I forgave my husband's killer - our children married' Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rwandan beekeeper arrested in US over genocide charges
A Rwandan beekeeper living in the US has been arrested over his alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide in his country. Faustin Nsabumukunzi is accused of committing "heinous acts of violence abroad" when he served as a local leader at the start of genocide, the Justice Department said. The 65-year-old suspect was also charged with visa fraud and attempted naturalisation fraud when he moved to the US in 2003. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bail. "Nsabumukunzi repeatedly lied to conceal his involvement in the horrific Rwandan genocide while seeking to become a lawful permanent resident and citizen of the United States," said John Durham, a federal prosecutor. In just 100 days in 1994, about 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda by ethnic Hutu extremists. The mainly Tutsi forces who took power following the genocide were alleged to have killed thousands of Hutu people in Rwanda in retaliation. Rwanda genocide: World failed us in 1994, President Paul Kagame says Nsabumukunzi is alleged to have set up roadblocks during the genocide to detain and kill Tutsis and to have participated in killings, prosecutors said, citing witnesses. "Nsabumukunzi used his leadership position to oversee the violence and killings of Tutsis in his local area and directed groups of armed Hutus to kill Tutsis," the federal prosecutors said. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to life in prison in absentia by a Rwandan genocide court, according to US legal papers. The suspect was arrested on Thursday at his home in Bridgehampton, New York, where he had settled as a gardener and beekeeper in an exclusive enclave on Long Island, according to the US media. Prosecutors said he had lied to US officials in his immigration application, including by falsely denying any involvement as a perpetrator of the Rwandan genocide when he sought refugee status in 2003. He allegedly repeated those lies in his subsequent applications for a green card and naturalisation. "For over two decades, he got away with those lies and lived in the United States with an undeserved clean slate," said prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a bond of $250,000 (£188,000). The bail package requires home detention and GPS monitoring, but he will be allowed to continue working as a gardener. Nsabumukunzi faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, if convicted. In Rwanda, Nsabumukunzi oversaw 150 beekeepers and 1,500 hives, according to the New York Times which profiled him in 2006. In the US, he oversaw about 100 hives for the Hamptons Honey Company, which had hired him to scale up its production, the report said. Gabriel Alfaya, the owner of Hamptons Honey since 2009, said he was unaware that Nsabumukunzi had worked for the company and had never met him, the New York Times reported. Nsabumukunzi's lawyer, Evan Sugar, described his client as "a law-abiding beekeeper and gardener", in an interview with the AP news agency. The lawyer said Nsabumukunzi was "a victim of the Rwandan genocide who lost scores of family members and friends to the violence". He said his client was rightfully granted refugee status and lawful permanent residence and planned to "fight these 30-year-old allegations" while maintaining his innocence. Several people who fled Rwanda to other countries have been arrested on charges related to the killings, as the East African country continues to pursue more genocide suspects from their safe havens abroad. BBC reporter returns home to Rwanda - 30 years after genocide Rwanda genocide: 100 days of slaughter 'I forgave my husband's killer - our children married' Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
