Delaware County Man Faces Immigration Charges
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A 68-year-old Delaware County man has been indicted on charges he lied on U.S. citizenship applications, allegedly failing to disclose his affiliation with a violent political group linked to war crimes in Liberia in the early 1990's.
KYW's Tony Hanson reports the defendant is a Liberian citizen, but he has had Legal Permanent Resident status in the U.S. since 1972.
The grand jury alleges Jucontee Thomas Woewiyu committed perjury and fraud, lying about his participation, his leadership role in the National Patriotic Front of Liberia, which carried out a heinous and brutal military campaign that created a humanitarian disaster.
"The government has charged through the grand jury that there was persecution in that he did in fact advocate for the overthrow of a government, that is the Doe government, by unlawful means by force or violence. And that is something that was not disclosed, at least it is alleged, in his application for citizenship," says federal prosecutor L.C. Wright.
Woewiyu faces a bail hearing Friday. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges. His immigration lawyer, who would not comment on the criminal case, says Woewiyu's past is well known and the U.S. has repeatedly renewed his client's green card over decades.
