PHILADELPHIA, PA – Laye Sekou Camara, 47, a former Liberian rebel commander known as “General K-1” and “Dragon Master,” was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to four counts of visa fraud.
According to court records, Camara concealed his role in the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel group to enter the United States in 2010 and later obtained permanent residency and a green card by falsely claiming on immigration forms that he had never committed or been involved in extrajudicial killings, paramilitary activities, or the use of child soldiers.
At a preliminary sentencing hearing earlier this year, nine Liberian witnesses testified that Camara used his position in LURD to commit atrocities during the Second Liberian Civil War, including executing civilians, recruiting children, and ordering a mortar attack that struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Monrovia, killing a Liberian embassy guard and other civilians.
Witnesses described Camara’s brutal tactics, including shooting a pregnant woman and her son, mutilating victims, and killing those seeking food. One man testified that Camara tied his hands and cut off his right ear when he refused to comply.
Camara was prosecuted for immigration-related offenses, not for war crimes. However, federal officials emphasized the significance of removing and prosecuting individuals who attempt to evade justice for serious human rights abuses.
“This sentence holds him responsible for his immigration fraud and officially ends his efforts to avoid accountability for his horrific crimes,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The case was investigated by HSI Philadelphia with assistance from the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center.
Members of the public with information about human rights violators in the U.S. are encouraged to contact Homeland Security Investigations via the tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or online at www.ice.gov.
