Vincent Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, 65, of Dayton, Ohio, was arrested on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, following the unsealing of a three-count federal indictment.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Nzigiyimfura, a former businessman and butcher in Rwanda, played a leadership role in orchestrating mass killings in and around Gihisi and Nyanza during the Genocide against the Tutsi that claimed more than a million lives.

According to the indictment, Nzigiyimfura allegedly provided weapons, transportation, and material incentives to Interahamwe militia and directed them to capture Tutsi victims. He is accused of helping construct roadblocks used to intercept and kill Tutsis, and of luring those in hiding into traps by falsely claiming the violence had ended.

“As alleged, Vincent Nzigiyimfura directed and encouraged murders during the genocide in Rwanda and then lied to U.S. authorities to start a new life in this country,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators.”

After fleeing Rwanda at the end of the genocide, Nzigiyimfura lived in Malawi before entering the United States in 2009. Prosecutors say he obtained a U.S. immigrant visa by falsely stating that he had not engaged in genocide or persecution. He later attempted to become a U.S. citizen in 2014, again allegedly lying about his past by denying any involvement in crimes or persecution.

The indictment also states that in 2018, he fraudulently applied for a renewal of his green card, later using the card to apply for an Ohio driver’s license in 2021.

“The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsis during the genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications in the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris for the Southern District of Ohio. “This egregious conduct will not be tolerated.”

Nzigiyimfura now faces one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalisation fraud. If convicted, he could receive a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. A U.S. District Court judge will determine the sentence following federal guidelines.

The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Cincinnati with support from the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC).

“No one wants a war criminal as their neighbour,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of ICE HSI Detroit. “These allegations paint a grim picture of the horror Nzigiyimfura inflicted on the Tutsi people. His indictment and arrest is a step toward justice for those victims.”

Nzigiyimfura made his first appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

His arrest comes nearly two months after Faustin Nzabumukunzi, also known as ’Umuvumvu,’ was arrested for similar offences at his home in Bridgehampton, New York, in April 2025.

Vincent Nzigiyimfura, also known as Vincent Mfura, 65, of Dayton, Ohio, was arrested on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, following the unsealing of a three-count federal indictment.