Joly Germine, Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking, Washington District of Columbia 2022

Grimy Times has learned that a Haitian national, Joly Germine, also known as 'Yonyon' and a leader of the notorious 400 Mawozo gang, has been charged with conspiracy to commit hostage taking in connection with the kidnapping of 16 US missionaries in Haiti in the fall of 2021. The missionaries, including five children, were held captive for 61 days before escaping.

According to sources, Germine directed and asserted control of the gang members’ kidnapping operations, including ransom negotiation for the hostages’ release. The indictment alleges that one of the gang’s stated goals in holding the hostages was to secure Germine’s release from prison. The Haitian government transferred Germine from a Haitian jail into US custody on May 3, 2022, on the basis of an arrest warrant in a separate case.

The US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, 'This case shows that the Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to track down anyone who kidnaps a US citizen abroad. We will utilize the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to hold accountable anyone responsible for undermining the safety of Americans anywhere in the world.’

The FBI Director Christopher Wray added, 'Today’s indictment demonstrates that the United States will not tolerate crime against our citizens, here or abroad. The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our international partners to keep our citizens safe and bring perpetrators to justice.’

Germine, 29, is described as a leader of the 400 Mawozo gang. He was previously charged with firearms trafficking in a separate case in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

It is worth noting that the charges brought today are related to the Oct. 16, 2021, kidnapping of 17 Christian missionaries near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Sixteen of the kidnapping victims were US citizens, including five children, one as young as eight months old.

Germine will have his initial appearance in the case tomorrow in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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