Faustin Nsabumukunzi, 65, of Bridgehampton, Long Island, was arrested on April 24, 2025 and is facing three federal charges; one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalization fraud. Prosecutors say he lied on his immigration and naturalization applications to hide his involvement in one of the 20th century’s most horrific mass atrocities.

According to court documents, Nsabumukunzi held the position of “Sector Counselor” in Rwanda during the genocide between April to July 1994, a period during which over a million people were killed.

As detailed in the indictment, Nsabumukunzi is accused of using his local authority to organize and direct attacks on Tutsi civilians. He allegedly supervised roadblocks used to identify, detain, and execute Tutsis and participated directly in the killings. A Rwandan court later convicted him in absentia.

Despite that history, Nsabumukunzi applied for refugee resettlement in the United States in 2003 and was granted a green card in 2007. He later submitted naturalization applications in both 2009 and 2015. In each of these cases, he allegedly denied any involvement in acts of genocide or persecution.

“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. Thanks to the tenacious efforts of our investigators and prosecutors, the defendant finally will be held accountable for his brutal actions,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York.

Federal officials emphasized that the charges are part of a broader commitment to identifying and prosecuting individuals who committed human rights violations overseas and entered the U.S. under false pretenses.

“As alleged, the defendant participated in the commission of 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.

“No matter how much time has passed, the Department of Justice will find and prosecute individuals who committed atrocities in their home countries,” he warned.

“This defendant has been living in the United States for decades, hiding his alleged horrific conduct. We will never tolerate the safe-harboring of individuals linked to such unimaginable crimes,” added Acting Special Agent in Charge Darren B. McCormack of Homeland Security Investigations New York.

If convicted, Nsabumukunzi faces up to 30 years in prison. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, with support from Homeland Security Investigations and the Interagency Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center.

Members of the public who have information about former human rights violators residing in the United States are encouraged to contact law enforcement through the HSI tip line or email.

A federal grand jury in Central Islip, New York, unsealed and charged a New York man with lying on his applications for a green card and United States citizenship by concealing his past role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

If convicted, Nsabumukunzi faces up to 30 years in prison.