After fleeing unspeakable slaughter and sexual violence, a Rwandan beekeeper settled into a quiet life with his family in the Hamptons, resuming the humble vocation he had been forced to abandon when nearly a million of his countrymen and women were swiftly butchered.
But his new life on Long Island masked a dark secret, according to federal prosecutors.
Rather than fleeing the genocide, prosecutors say, the man, Faustin Nsabumukunzi, was an eager participant in it. He directed ethnic majority Hutus to kill minority Tutsis, personally attacked Tutsis with a club and ordered Hutu men to dispose of the bodies of dead Tutsis, referring to them as “trash” and “garbage.”
Then, he lied about his involvement in the bloodshed when he sought refugee status in the United States in 2003, and again when applied to become a permanent resident and citizen, according to prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York.
Mr. Nsabumukunzi was arrested Thursday morning in Bridgehampton, N.Y., on charges of immigration fraud. He faces as many as 30 years in prison if convicted. But he could also be deported to Rwanda, where he has been sought for nearly two decades.
Appearing before Judge Joanna Seybert in Central Islip, Mr. Nsabumukunzi, 65, wore a dark sweatshirt and jeans. He pleaded not guilty, with his son, Thierry, 38, attending in support, and was released on a $250,000 bond. The bond was posted by Steve Felsher, a man for whom Mr. Nsabumukunzi works as a gardener.
In arguing for his client’s release on bail, Evan Sugar, Mr. Nsabumukunzi’s lawyer, noted that he had no financial means to flee the country and suffered from arthritis.