Human Rights: Jean Morose Viliena, the former Mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, was sentenced on June 20th, to nine years in prison by a federal judge for possessing and using a Permanent Resident Card he had fraudulently obtained by falsely stating that he had not ordered, carried out, or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings and other acts of violence against the Haitian people. A federal jury convicted Viliena in March 2025 of three counts of visa fraud.

“Jean Morose Viliena built a life in the United States by burying the truth about his violent past – a past marked by political persecution, bloodshed, and the silencing of dissent in Haiti,” said U.S. Attorney Leah Foley for the District of Massachusetts.

Viliena, 53, was the Mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, from December 2006 until February 2010. As a candidate and as mayor, Viliena personally supervised his mayoral staff and other armed supporters and directed them to engage in armed violence to quash opposition to his authority.

Viliena violently retaliated against an activist who had previously spoken at a judicial proceeding on behalf of a neighbor whom Viliena had assaulted. Viliena led an armed group to the activist’s home, where Viliena and his associates shot and killed the activist’s younger brother and then smashed the brother’s skull with a large rock.

In April 2008, Viliena and his associates attacked community members who had founded a radio station that Viliena opposed.

Less than two months after the radio station attack, Viliena applied for a visa to enter the United States. The visa application requires an applicant to state whether they are a member of any class of individuals excluded from admission into the United States, including those who have “ordered, carried out or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings and other acts of violence against the Haitian people.” Viliena falsely responded “no.”

Based on Viliena’s false representations, the United States approved his visa application and permitted him to enter the country.

“His lies to U.S. immigration authorities allowed him to unlawfully enter this country and obtain lawful permanent resident status,” said Matthew Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Individuals who commit violent crimes in their home countries should take note: we do not tolerate human rights abusers who lie to take refuge here.” VOA/SP