LOS ANGELES — A former Syrian government official was indicted Aug. 8 in Los Angeles on criminal charges for lying to U.S. immigration authorities about his time running a Syrian prison where prisoners, including political dissidents, were physically mistreated.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI are investigating the case with support from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the HSI-led Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC).
“In his role with the Syrian government, the defendant allegedly oversaw systematic and horrific acts of violence against those for which he was responsible,” said HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “HSI Los Angeles will not allow the United States of America to be a safe haven for human rights violators nor the privilege of United States citizenship to be bestowed upon those who do not reflect our values.”
According to court documents, Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 72, of Lexington, South Carolina, was a Syrian government official who held a variety of positions in the Syrian police and the Syrian state security apparatus, and was associated with the Syrian Ba’ath Party, the totalitarian party that ruled Syria. He allegedly served as the head of Damascus Central Prison (colloquially known as “Adra Prison”) from approximately 2005 to 2010. As described in the indictment, political dissidents and other prisoners were severely physically abused at Adra Prison during Alsheikh’s tenure there. The indictment further alleges that Alsheikh was subsequently appointed governor of the province of Deir Ez-Zour by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Alsheikh allegedly concealed his employment at the prison, persecution of any person because of political opinion, and involvement in harming others when he applied for U.S. citizenship in 2023. He allegedly made similar false statements when applying for a visa that enabled him to enter the United States in 2020, become a lawful permanent resident, and obtain a green card.
Alsheikh is charged with one count of obtaining, using and possessing a green card that was procured through false statements and one count of attempted naturalization fraud. If convicted, Alsheikh faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count.
Wang, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada, and the FBI’s Executive Assistant Director of its Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch Michael A. Nordwall made the announcement.
Trial attorneys Patrick Jasperse and Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Joshua O. Mausner are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact U.S. law enforcement through the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or complete the FBI online tip form.
HSI and FBI are investigating the case with support from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the HSI-led HRVWCC. Established in 2008, the HRVWCC furthers HSI’s efforts to identify, locate and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation and the use or recruitment of child soldiers. The HRVWCC leverages the expertise of a select group of agents, lawyers, intelligence and research specialists, historians and analysts who direct the agency’s broader enforcement efforts against these offenders.
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About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.