Liberian Rebel Commander Living In Delco Guilty Of Immigration Fraud: Feds

A former Liberian rebel commander living in Delaware County was found guilty of immigration fraud and perjury after it was discovered he lied on an asylum application about his activities in the first Liberian civil war, according to federal prosecutors. Officials said those activities included cannibalism, sexually enslaving women, torture, conscripting child soldiers and more.

Fifty-one-year-old Mohammed Jabbateh, also known as "Jungle Jabbah," was found guilty of two counts of fraud in immigration documents and two counts of perjury, Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-Charge Marlon Miller announced Wednesday.

According to officials, Jabbateh — a citizen of Liberia who was living in East Lansdowne — provided a false statement about his involvement in Liberia’s first civil war in December 1998 while seeking asylum in the United States.

Prosecutors said Jabbateh was a battalion commander in two rebel groups that battled for control of Liberia in the 1990s. Those groups were United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) and later ULIMO-K.

Jabbateh faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 30 years, a possible fine, a $400 special assessment and a period of supervised release, according to federal officials.

In January of 1999, during the asylum-seeking process, Jabbateh was interviewed by a United States asylum officer for to determine whether his application should be granted, according to prosecutors.

A jury heard evidence that Jabbateh falsely answered "no" to the questions of "[h]ave you ever committed a crime" and "[h]ave you ever harmed anyone else," prosecutors said.

In late December 1999, Jabbateh – largely based upon his answers to those questions, other questions posed on his asylum application and his answers to questions posed during his asylum application interview – was granted asylum in the U.S.

When Jabbateh later applied for legal permanent residency in the U.S., he falsely responded "no" to the following questions:

• “Have you ever engaged in genocide, or otherwise ordered, incited, assisted or otherwise participated in the killing of any person because of race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or political opinion?”

• “Are you under a final order of civil penalty for violating section 274C of the Immigration and Nationality Act for use of fraudulent documents, or have you, by fraud or willful misrepresentation of a material fact, ever sought to procure or procured a visa, other documentation, or entry into the U.S. or any immigration benefit?”

The jury found that Jabbateh knew his answers to these two questions were untrue in that he had "ordered, incited, assisted and otherwise participated in the killing of any person because of religion, nationality, ethnic origin and political opinion;" and knew that he was granted asylum in the U.S. by fraud and "willful misrepresentation of material fact," prosecutors said.

During two weeks of testimony from more than 24 witnesses, including 17 Liberian victims and eyewitnesses, the jury heard evidence that from about 1992 to 1995 Jabbateh either personally committed, or ordered fighters under his command to commit, the following acts:

• the murder of civilian noncombatants;
• the sexual enslavement of women;
• the public raping of women;
• the maiming of civilian noncombatants;
• the torturing of civilian noncombatants;
• the enslavement of civilian noncombatants;
• the conscription of child soldiers;
• the execution of prisoners of war;
• the desecration and mutilation of corpses and ritual consumption of human flesh, including human hearts;
• and the killing persons because of race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or political opinion.

"Jabbateh sought to escape to the United States and start anew, where he lied about his extensive and horrific criminal background on federal immigration forms and to the faces of U.S. immigration officers," Lappen said. "Jabbateh committed atrocities in Liberia that ravaged communities in ways that will be felt for generations. This office has rarely if ever seen such an abuse of our immigration process, and we are incredibly proud of the efforts of law enforcement and the victim witnesses who helped bring this man to justice. We thank the jury for its just and proper verdict of guilty on all counts."

"The United States will not be a safe haven for human rights violators and war criminals," said Marlon Miller, special agent in charge of HSI’s Philadelphia office. "Today’s verdict will help bring justice to the victims of Mr. Jabbateh's atrocities, for having survived the suffering he inflicted during the Liberian Civil War. HSI will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that those who have committed such acts abroad never evade justice and accountability for their crimes by hiding among their victims in the United States."

The case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Linwood C. Wright, Jr. and Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr.

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