Ex-Liberian Rebel General Pleads Guilty To Immigration Fraud

Monday, January 20, 2025, 7:45 A.M. ET. 3 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

PHILADELPHIA, PA.- On Thursday, January 16, 2025, Laye Sekou Camara, 46, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney to federal immigration fraud offenses.

     The guilty plea came on the eve of Camara’s federal trial, which was to begin on Friday, January 17, 2025, in federal court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Camara pleaded guilty to the indictment, which charged three counts of Using a Fraudulently Obtained Resident Alien Green Card and one count of Fraudulently Obtaining a Resident Alien Green Card by Making False Statements.

     Following entering his guilty plea on Thursday, Judge Kenney accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for May 19, 2025, at which time Camara faces up to 40 years in federal prison and will face deportation proceedings upon his release from prison. At sentencing, a U.S. District Court Judge will determine the term of imprisonment based on the seriousness of the offenses and Camara’s prior criminal history.

According To The U.S. Attorney’s Office

     According to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and charging documents filed with the District Court, Camara was a general with a Liberian rebel group from around 1999 to 2003 and fought against the Liberian government that was led by then President Charles Taylor. 

     Camara, also known as K-1 and Dragon Master, entered the United States under an immigrant visa and later obtained Lawful Permanent Resident status and Green Card by falsely stating on immigration forms that he never participated in extrajudicial killings or other acts of violence, had never been involved with a paramilitary unit, rebel group, or guerilla, and had never engaged in the recruitment or use of child soldiers.

According To Information Unsealed In The Indictment

     According to the charging information unsealed in the indictment, Camara used the green card when he applied for a Pennsylvania identification card in 2017, applied for a New Jersey home healthcare aide license in 2020, and sought employment at a New Jersey-based home healthcare agency in 2020.

     Camara was in possession of the green card when he was taken into custody in 2022 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as he was attempting to board an international flight.

     “Respecting both human dignity and the rule of law is fundamental to who we are as a nation,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Camara lied about his brutal history in Liberia to get a green card and live in the United States, enjoying the benefits and protections provided by our government’s laws, even as he flouted them. The Department of Justice is committed to working with our federal and international partners to deny human rights violators safe haven in this country.”