Germine Joly alias Yonyon condamn 35 ans de prison

Germine Joly, better known as “Yonyon,” was indicted on U.S. federal firearms charges after being transferred aboard a special Federal Bureau of Investigation flight on Tuesday, May 3, to the United States. United States, following a request from the United States on April 22. the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, behind the kidnapping last year of 17 American and Canadian missionaries. HAITI NATIONAL POLICE

Germine Joly alias “Yonyon”, former leader of the 400 mawozo gang, was sentenced to 35 years in prison this Monday by a federal court in Washington.

Germine Joly, known as “Yonyon”, pleaded guilty at the end of January to arms smuggling and ransom laundering linked to the kidnapping of American citizens in October 2021, thus ending his trial in Washington.

“Violent gang leaders in Haiti who terrorize American citizens to fuel their criminal activities will face the full might of the Department of Justice,” said United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement. communicated.

Aged 31, “Yonyon” had asked the judge to show leniency, his lawyers requesting a sentence not exceeding 17.5 years in prison.

He was co-leader of the 400 Mawozo, one of the most powerful gangs in the country, controlling part of Croix-des-Bouquets and its surrounding areas. The gang also operates along the road linking the capital with the border town of Jimaní in the Dominican Republic.

The gang is known for its kidnappings, drug and weapons trafficking, murders, rapes and armed robberies, according to a UN report.

“The Mawazo 400 gang is not only wreaking havoc in its own communities, it is also preying on innocent Americans who live or travel in Haiti,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement.

Three shipments containing contraband weapons and ammunition arrived in Haiti in 2021, shortly before the gang kidnapped 17 missionaries, including 16 U.S. citizens. The weapons alone were valued at around $28,000, according to a UN report.

“This unique case indicates that 400 Mawozo are capable of mobilizing significant sums of money to acquire firearms and ammunition,” the report adds.

The gang is still led by Joseph Wilson, nicknamed “Lanmò San Jou”, He is an ally of G-Pep, a gang federation.

Haitian authorities issued an arrest warrant for Wilson in late 2020, but he has yet to be arrested.

Recall that the PNH arrested Germine Joly in 2014 and 2018. A local judge sentenced him to life in prison, from where he directed the gang’s operations, including the kidnapping in October 2021 of 12 adults and five minors after their visit to an orphanage in Croix-des-Bouquets. The group included 16 Americans and one Canadian working for Christian Aid Ministries, an organization based in Ohio.

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