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A erstwhile politician from Haiti convicted of lying astir his convulsive past connected his visa exertion has been sentenced to 9 years successful situation successful Massachusetts
ByHOLLY RAMER Associated Press
CONCORD, N.H. -- CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A erstwhile politician from Haiti convicted of lying astir his convulsive past connected his visa exertion was sentenced Friday to 9 years successful situation and 3 years of supervision, aft which helium volition beryllium taxable to deportation proceedings.
Jean Morose Viliena, of Malden, Massachusetts, was the politician of Les Irois, Haiti, from December 2006 until February 2010. He was convicted of 3 counts of visa fraud successful March and sentenced Friday successful national tribunal successful Boston.
“For much than a decade, helium lived freely and comfy successful this state portion the victims of his brutality lived successful fear, exile and pain,” U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said successful statement. “Today’s condemnation brings a measurement of justness for the lives helium shattered and sends a wide message: the United States volition not beryllium a harmless person for quality rights abusers.”
According to prosecutors, Viliena committed “violent atrocities” against his governmental foes successful an isolated, agrarian assemblage of astir 22,000 residents connected Haiti’s occidental tip. In 2007, helium was accused of starring a radical of his allies to the location of a governmental opponent, wherever helium and his associates changeable and killed the opponent’s younger brother, past smashed his skull with a rock.
In 2008, Viliena and his allies went equipped with guns, machetes, picks and sledgehammers to unopen down a assemblage vigor presumption that helium opposed, prosecutors said. Authorities said helium pistol-whipped and punched a antheral and ordered an subordinate to sprout and termination the antheral and different person.
Both survived, but 1 of the men mislaid a limb and the different was blinded successful 1 eye.
When helium applied for a visa to participate the U.S., however, Viliena denied having “ordered, carried retired oregon materially assisted successful extrajudicial and governmental killings and different acts of unit against the Haitian people.” He aboriginal received a imperishable nonmigratory paper and has raised a kid who is simply a U.S. national by birth, prosecutors said.
Defense attorneys argued successful tribunal that it was members of a rival governmental enactment — including immoderate who they accidental are authorities witnesses — who committed the violence. They described the erstwhile politician arsenic the lad of a husbandman who became a teacher and yet ran for politician to amended conditions successful town.
In 2023, Viliena was found liable by an American assemblage successful a civilian trial successful transportation with the sidesplitting and the 2 attempted killings and assessed $15.5 cardinal successful compensatory and punitive damages.
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