An Ethiopian, Mergia Negussie Habteyes, who naturalized to become a U.S. citizen in 2008 has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for having fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
Negussie Habteyes, 58, was residing in Alexandria, Virginia at the time of his trial. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia, according to the US Justice Department, in a statement on Friday.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger of the Eastern District of Virginia and Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C made the announcement.
Mergia Negussie Habteyes, 58, previously pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful procurement of naturalization.
“Negussie-Habteyes believed he could conceal his past participation in the brutal persecution of political dissidents in order to enjoy the benefits of U.S. citizenship and escape accountability in Ethiopia,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.
“Negussie hid his past atrocities as a human rights abuser and lied his way into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Terwilliger.
“United States citizenship and the protections and privileges that accompany it is not intended for those who persecute their fellow man. My thanks to the prosecutors and law enforcement agents and officers for their outstanding work on this case.”
According to admissions in the plea agreement, Negussie participated in the persecution of detainees in Ethiopia from roughly 1977 to 1978 during a period of time known as the “Red Terror.” As part of actions led by a council of military officers in power at the time, known as the “Derg,” Negussie injured and abused detainees on account of their political opinion by beating them with weapons including belts, rods and other objects, causing permanent scarring and injury to some of the detainees. During these beatings, Negussie questioned the detainees about their affiliation with the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and the opposition activities of the EPRP, which was politically opposed to the Derg.
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