Rwandan Genocide Suspect Arrested in Ohio for Decades-Long Scheme to Conceal His Involvement
A Rwandan man living in Ohio since 1995 has been arrested in the Buckeye State after denying involvement in his country’s genocide in 1994, according to federal authorities.
Arrest and Charges
Eric Tabaro Nshimiye, who also goes by the name Eric Tabaro Nshimiyimana, 52, of Uniontown, Ohio, has been charged in a criminal complaint with falsifying, concealing and covering up a material fact by trick, scheme or device, obstruction of justice, and perjury following an investigation by HSI New England special agents, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Thursday.
Long-Term Scheme Exposed
Federal authorities say that Nshimiye has been charged in Boston for a nearly three-decade scheme to conceal his alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which left more than 800,000 people dead.
Obstruction of Justice and Perjury
Nshimiye is also charged with obstruction of justice and with perjury for allegedly offering false testimony in the 2019 Boston trial of his former classmate and now-convicted Rwandan genocide perpetrator Jean Leonard Teganya, ICE says.
Allegations and Actions
Federal prosecutors allege Nshimiye fraudulently gained refugee status in America and previously denied participating in the genocide. Nshimiye, a Hutu, allegedly participated in the killing of Tutsi men, women, and children by striking them on the head with a nail-studded club and then hacking them to death with a machete, ICE says
Legal Proceedings
Nshimiye was arrested Thursday morning in Ohio by Homeland Security special agents and was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio.
The court clerk for Northern District of Ohio tells Inside Edition Digital that the defendant did not enter a plea or admit to his identity. He is due back in federal court in Northern District of Ohio in Youngstown on March 29 and then could be extradited to Massachusetts after, the court clerk tells Inside Edition Digital.
Legal Counsel and Court Dates
Nshimiye is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshall. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to Nshimiye’s attorney, David Johnson, for comment and has not heard back.
Government Allegations
“Nshimiye is accused of lying to conceal his participation in one of the greatest human tragedies of all time. The charging documents make specific allegations about the murder and rape of ethnic Tutsis committed during his time as a medical student in Rwanda. The government alleges his testimony in the defense of a convicted genocidaire was a calculated attempt to conceal the horrific crimes committed during the genocide, further distancing himself from his participation in these horrific events, and avoiding consequences of his actions,” HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol said in a statement.
Immigration and Refugee Status
Nshimiye left Rwanda in 1994 during the genocide and traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and then in 1995 he arrived in Kenya, where authorities say he lied to U.S. immigration officials in order to enter America as a refugee. He then was given refugee status and was placed in Ohio, where he has lived ever since, ICE said.
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan genocide saw about 800,000 people slaughtered in the country by ethnic Hutu extremists over just 100 days in 1994. The genocide targeted members of the minority Tutsi community, as well as their political opponents, irrespective of their ethnic origin, BBC reported.