A Rwandan man accused of playing a role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi has been arrested in the United States after allegedly hiding his past for years through false immigration claims.

Vincent Nzigiyimfura, 65, was taken into custody on June 12 in Dayton, Ohio, and appeared in court the following day before the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

He faces one count of visa fraud and two counts of attempted naturalisation fraud. If convicted, he could face up to 30 years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a federal judge.

US authorities say Nzigiyimfura concealed his actions during the Genocide while applying for permanent residency and later citizenship in the US, using false statements between 2008 and 2014. He continued living in the country without detection for more than a decade.

“The United States is not a safe haven for human rights violators. Those, like the defendant, who commit immigration fraud to hide their violent pasts will be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

According to the US Department of Justice, Nzigiyimfura was a businessman and butcher in Southern Province, Rwanda, where he reportedly held influence around the Gihisi and Nyanza areas during the Genocide.

The indictment accuses him of providing weapons, transport, and other support to fellow perpetrators. He allegedly organised roadblocks where Tutsi victims were detained and killed, using his vehicle to ferry materials for the barricades.

He is also accused of luring survivors by spreading false information that the killings had stopped, only to have them captured and murdered.

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

After the Genocide, Nzigiyimfura fled to Malawi before eventually making his way to the US. In 2008 and 2009, he submitted immigration applications in which he claimed he had never taken part in genocide or persecution.

He falsely stated that he left Rwanda in 1994 because of the Genocide, though authorities say he was actually fleeing justice.

In 2009, he entered the US using these false statements. In 2014, he applied for US citizenship, again denying involvement in any crimes or deception. During a naturalisation interview, he reaffirmed the same false claims under oath. Although his application was not approved, he remained in the country.

In 2018, he obtained a replacement green card, valid until 2029. In 2021, he used that card to apply for an Ohio driver’s license, a move US prosecutors say was part of a larger plan to maintain his false identity.

“This horrible conduct will not be tolerated,” said Acting US Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kelly A. Norris. “The indictment alleges this defendant facilitated the killings of Tutsi during the Genocide and then lied about it on immigration applications.”

His arrest forms part of ongoing US efforts to track and prosecute individuals involved in war crimes who later sought refuge in the country through false means.