Former Haitian Mayor Convicted of Visa Fraud Linked to Torture

Jean Morose Viliena, a former mayor from Haiti, was convicted by a federal jury in Boston on March 28 for visa fraud, having lied about his involvement in violent acts against political opponents to secure U.S. residency. Prosecutors revealed that Viliena, who served as mayor of Les Irois from 2006 to 2010, ordered and participated in brutal attacks, including a fatal assault on a political rival's brother, while claiming on his visa application that he had not engaged in extrajudicial killings. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before rejecting Viliena's defense, which suggested that he was falsely accused by government witnesses. Viliena is appealing a previous civil ruling that ordered him to pay $15.5 million to victims of his violent actions. He faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and has been in custody since his indictment in 2023. Sentencing is scheduled for June 20, as Viliena's attorney maintains his innocence and argues that the evidence against him was unreliable.