A former Haitian mayor has been convicted of U.S. charges for lying about his involvement in a brutal campaign to kill and torture political opponents, which he used to secure a green card for residency in the United States.
Jean Morose Viliena, now a lawful permanent resident and working as a truck driver in Malden, Massachusetts, was found guilty by a federal jury in Boston on three counts of visa fraud. Prosecutors brought these charges following a civil case in which a different jury ordered Viliena to pay $15.5 million to three Haitians who accused him of persecuting them and their families.
Viliena, 52, is appealing the civil verdict and maintains his innocence. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 20. His attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
Both cases highlight the widespread violence plaguing Haiti. Prosecutors stated that in applying for a visa in 2008, Viliena falsely asserted on his application that he had not "ordered, carried out or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings and other acts of violence against the Haitian people."
Contrary to his claims, prosecutors alleged that after being elected mayor of Les Irois in December 2006, Viliena personally committed or ordered acts of violence against his adversaries. The victims include the three individuals who pursued the earlier lawsuit: David Boniface, Juders Yseme, and Nissage Martyr.
This lawsuit was filed in 2017 under the Torture Victim Protection Act, which permits U.S. lawsuits against foreign officials accused of extrajudicial killings or torture when redress options in their home countries have been exhausted. According to prosecutors, Viliena led a group of armed men to Boniface's home in 2007, where they beat and fatally shot his brother, and later mobilized a group in 2008 that assaulted Martyr and Yseme at a community radio station.