United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, along with the Justice Department and Homeland Security Investigations, announced that Laye Sekou Camara, a 46-year-old resident of Mays Landing, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty to charges related to immigration fraud. The plea was entered before United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney.
Camara admitted guilt on the eve of his trial to three counts of using and one count of possessing a fraudulently obtained green card. According to court documents, Camara was involved as a general with a Liberian rebel group from 1999 to 2003 during the civil war against then-President Charles Taylor's government. He had previously claimed on immigration forms that he did not participate in extrajudicial killings or acts of violence and had no ties to paramilitary units or guerilla groups.
The indictment revealed that Camara used the fraudulent green card for various applications including a Pennsylvania identification card in 2017 and a New Jersey home health care aide license in 2020. He was arrested in possession of the green card at JFK International Airport in New York in 2022 while attempting to board an international flight.
Camara is scheduled for sentencing on May 19, 2025, where he faces up to 40 years in prison.
“Respecting both human dignity and the rule of law is fundamental to who we are as a nation,” stated U.S. Attorney Romero. She emphasized that Camara lied about his past actions in Liberia to obtain residency benefits unlawfully. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with our federal and international partners to deny human rights violators safe haven in this country.”
Edward V. Owens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia, remarked on the case as an example of global coordination against human rights violators: “Camara fraudulently claimed that he had not participated in Liberia’s civil war.” Owens noted Camara's involvement with atrocities during Liberia's Second Civil War as part of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebel group.
The investigation was conducted by HSI with support 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linwood C. Wright Jr., Patrick Brown, Kelly M. Harrell, along with Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour from the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting this case.
The public is encouraged to report information about human rights violators residing in the United States through designated FBI or HSI tip lines or online forms.
