Jean Morose Viliena, 53, the former mayor of Les Irois, Haiti, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on Monday in a Boston courtroom. Following
his prison term, he will face deportation proceedings.
During his time in office from December 2006 to February 2010, Viliena allegedly orchestrated a series of violent attacks against political opponents. Federal prosecutors stated that he “personally committed or ordered violent atrocities” including deadly shootings and brutal beatings.
One of the most serious incidents occurred in 2007, when Viliena reportedly led an armed group to the home of a political rival. That attack resulted in the murder of the rival’s younger brother and the use of a rock to severely beat others present. A year later, in 2008, he allegedly led an assault on a local community radio station. That attack left one man blind in one eye and another wit
h the loss of a leg.
Despite t
his violent history, Viliena secured a U.S. visa and green card in 2008. According to AP News, he falsely swore under oath that he had never “ordered, carried out or materially assisted in extrajudicial and political killing
s.” Evidence later revealed that he was living in Malden, Massachusetts, working and raising a U.S.-born child.
In March 2025, a federal jury found him guilty of three counts of visa fraud. Prosecutors called the case “the most egregious type of immigration fraud,” and had sought the maximum 10-year sentence.
In a separate civil trial in 2023, Viliena was found liable under the Torture Victim Protection Act. The jury awarded $15.5 million in damages to three Haitian victims in connection with the same violent events.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley addressed the impact of the verdict in a statement:
“For more than a decade, he lived freely and comfortably in this country while the victims of his brutality lived in fear, exile, and pain. Today’s sentence brings a measure of justice… and sends a clear message: the United States will not be a safe haven for human rights abusers.”
The case marks a rare but powerful example of international human rights violations being prosecuted on U.S. soil, and serves as a reminder of the responsibility to protect vulnerable communities — both at home and abroad.
