Grimy Times Exclusive: A former Liberian rebel general has been brought to justice in a shocking case of immigration fraud.
Laye Sekou Camara, 46, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty yesterday to using and possessing a green card that he unlawfully obtained by making false statements about his involvement in the civil war in the West African nation of Liberia.
According to court documents, Camara was a general with a Liberian rebel group from approximately 1999 to 2003 and fought against the Liberian government that was led by then-President Charles Taylor. He entered the United States pursuant to an immigrant visa and later obtained Lawful Permanent Resident status and a green card by falsely stating on immigration forms that he had never participated in extrajudicial killings or other acts of violence; had never been involved with a paramilitary unit, rebel group, or guerilla group; and had never engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers.
Camara pleaded guilty to three counts of using and one count of possessing a fraudulently obtained green card. The indictment details how he used the green card when he applied for a Pennsylvania identification card in 2017, applied for a New Jersey home health care aide license in 2020, and sought employment at a New Jersey-based home health care agency in 2020. He was in possession of the green card when he was arrested in 2022 at JFK International Airport in New York before attempting to board an international flight.
Camara is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or the HSI tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE, or complete the FBI online tip form or the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement online tip form.
Related Federal Cases
- Five Essex County Men Charged In Heroin Distribution Ring, New Jersey 2015 · New York
- Michael Conway, Wire Fraud, New Jersey 2016 · New York
- Radu Bogdan Marin, Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, New Jersey 2017 · Massachusetts
- Vadym Iermolovych, International Securities Fraud, New Jersey 2024 · New York
- Paul J Mathieu, Medicare and Medicaid Fraud, New Jersey 2024 · New York
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Human Rights Violations
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News