Haiti: Les Irois Mayor Arrested in US for Visa Fraud

A former public official in Haiti was recently arrested in the United States for visa fraud.

It was after a court ordered him to pay $15.5 million for his reported role in the violent oppression of his political rivals.

Former Les Irois Mayor Jean Morose Viliena is expected to appear before a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts after he was detained on immigration-related charges on Wednesday.

Viliena is facing up to 10 years in prison, with a fine of $250,000, according to Al Jazeera.

Prosecutors also accuse Viliena of lying to get a U.S. visa by concealing his violent past in Haiti, with his visa application requiring that he affirm he had not "ordered, carried out or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings" in Haiti.

The former Les Irois mayor allegedly checked the box saying he had not committed all those acts. Later on, he swore before a consular officer that his statements on the application were accurate.

Prosecutors deny Viliena's claim, instead linking him to a campaign of persecution created through a political group in Haiti accused of using threats and violence to promote its political interest and candidates.

Former Mayor in Haiti Visa Fraud

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins noted in a Justice Department statement that gaining lawful entry into the U.S. is a "privilege, not a right." He added that the country offers protection, assistance, and asylum to those who are persecuted.

Viliena was allegedly backed by the political group Korega, which is known to be extending its power throughout the southwestern region of Haiti through armed violence.

Viliena personally supervised his mayoral staff and security detail while also leading an armed group in Les Irois connected to Korega.

Korega then imposed Viliena's policies by various means under the former Les Irois mayor's supervision.

Korega would target political opponents in Les Irois through armed violence.

Viliena was involved in several instances of violence, with it first happening in 2007 when a witness spoke at a judicial proceeding in Les Irois on behalf of a neighbor who had been assaulted by the former mayor.

Viliena allegedly delivered a reprisal by leading an armed group to that witness' home and killed the witness' younger brother, and then smashed his skull with a large rock before bystanders.

Haiti Violence

The United Nations has called for the deployment of an international specialized support force to address Haiti's increasing violence after more than 530 people were killed in the opening weeks of this year.

Spokesperson for the UN human rights office Martha Hurtado said that clashes between gangs are "becoming more violent and more frequent," as reported by The Guardian.

Hurtado expressed "grave concern" that the security situation was getting out of control.

The agency said that its staff had already counted 531 killings, 300 injuries, and 277 kidnappings in the gang-related incidents.

Most of the violence occurred in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.

At least 208 of the killings and 101 kidnappings happened during the first half of the month.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Fear, violence and chaos grip Haiti as gangs seize control - from PBS NewsHour