Mohammed Jabbateh, Immigration Fraud, Pennsylvania 2023

Philadelphia, PA – A Liberian national residing in East Lansdowne, PA, has been charged with immigration fraud and perjury.

Mohammed Jabbateh, 49, also known as ‘Jungle Jabbah,’ faces two counts of fraud in immigration documents and two counts of perjury, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger and Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Jack Staton, Homeland Security Investigations.

According to the indictment, in December 1998, Jabbateh was not truthful about his activities during Liberia’s first civil war while he was a member of The United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia (ULIMO) and later ULIMO-K, a rebel group that battled for control of Liberia.

Jabbateh was a commander or higher ranking officer in ULIMO and ULIMO-K. The indictment alleges that during his time as a ULIMO commander or higher ranking officer, he either personally committed or ordered ULIMO troops under his command to commit various atrocities, including murder, sexual enslavement, public raping of women, and the conscription of child soldiers.

During the asylum seeking process in January 1999, Jabbateh falsely responded ‘no’ to queries about committing a crime and harming anyone else. Based on his false answers, he received asylum on December 23, 1999.

Jabbateh later applied for legal permanent residency by filing a Form I-485 with United States immigration authorities. He falsely responded ‘no’ to questions about engaging in genocide and procuring a visa by fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact.

According to the indictment, Jabbateh knew his answers were false, as he had ordered, incited, assisted, and otherwise participated in the killing of people because of their religion, nationality, ethnic origin, and political opinion.

Mohammed Jabbateh faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, a possible fine, a $400 special assessment, and supervised release if convicted.

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