Ohio Man Convicted for Lying About His Involvement in the Rwandan Genocide

A federal jury convicted Eric Tabaro Nshimiye, also known as Eric Tabaro Nshimiyimana, 54, yesterday on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice related to his concealment of material information concerning his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Specifically, the jury convicted Nshimiye of lying to a federal jury during the 2019 trial in Boston of convicted Rwandan genocide perpetrator, Jean Leonard Teganya.

Nshimiye fled Rwanda in the summer of 1994 and made his way to Kenya. In 1995, he gained admission to the United States as a refugee by failing to disclose his violent participation in the Rwandan genocide to immigration authorities. In subsequent years, Nshimiye continued to provide false information about his involvement in the Rwandan genocide to obtain lawful permanent residence and ultimately U.S. citizenship. Nshimiye has lived and worked in Ohio since 1995.

“For nearly three decades, this defendant concealed his involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the heinous acts of violence he committed, including clubbing people to death,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Then, he lied to immigration officials in order to become a U.S. citizen, and he lied to a federal jury to protect himself and a fellow perpetrator of the Rwandan genocide. Now, he will face the consequences of his crimes thanks to the courage of the survivors in this case and the diligence of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who have ensured that Nshimiye will not be able to escape his past.”

Read more: Department of Justice