BOSTON — Jean Morose Viliena, a former mayor of the Haitian town of Les Irois, was sentenced to nine years in a U.S. federal prison on Friday after being convicted of immigration fraud for concealing his involvement in a campaign of violence and persecution against political opponents in Haiti.
The 53-year-old was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston following a jury’s March verdict that found him guilty of what prosecutors described as “the most egregious type of immigration fraud.” Prosecutors had recommended the statutory maximum sentence of 10 years, arguing that it was necessary to “provide justice to the survivors and families of the victims who continue to suffer the effects of the defendant’s persecution and concealment.”
Viliena was indicted shortly after a separate federal jury in 2023 awarded $15.5 million in damages to three Haitian plaintiffs—David Boniface, Juders Yseme, and Nissage Martyr—who accused him of orchestrating acts of violence against them and their families. That civil suit was brought under the Torture Victim Protection Act, which allows U.S. courts to hear cases against foreign officials accused of torture or extrajudicial killings when domestic legal remedies are unavailable.
At the time of his criminal indictment, Viliena was living in Malden, Massachusetts, and working as a truck driver. He has consistently denied the allegations and is appealing both the civil judgment and the criminal conviction. His attorney, Jason Benzaken, called the nine-year sentence “heavier than we believed was called for under the guidelines.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Viliena falsely affirmed on a 2008 immigration form that he had not “ordered, carried out or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killings or other acts of violence against the Haitian people.” Prosecutors argued that this was a willful misrepresentation intended to secure legal status in the United States.
During his tenure as mayor, beginning in December 2006, Viliena allegedly directed or participated in a series of violent acts against perceived political opponents. In 2007, he reportedly led armed men to the home of David Boniface, where they fatally shot Boniface’s brother. In 2008, he is accused of organizing an assault at a community radio station that left Yseme and Martyr severely beaten and wounded by gunfire.
Federal authorities emphasized that the case represents a rare but significant use of immigration law to hold foreign officials accountable for human rights abuses. The conviction highlights a broader commitment by U.S. prosecutors to deny safe haven to individuals who have committed acts of political violence abroad.
Viliena is expected to serve his sentence in a federal facility while continuing to pursue legal avenues to challenge the outcome.
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