US charges former Syria prison chief with immigration fraud

The United States has brought criminal charges against the former head of a notorious Syrian prison accused of lying about his past in an attempt to secure US citizenship, according to US prosecutors.

Samir Ousman Alsheikh, 72, oversaw severe physical abuse of inmates while head of the Adra prison from 2005 until 2010, according to an indictment unsealed on Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles.

Alsheikh, an alleged associate of the younger brother of Syrian President Bashar Assad, had been living in South Carolina when he was arrested last month after purchasing a one-way ticket on a flight to Beirut, according to court documents.

A federal judge has ordered him detained, court records show. An attorney for Alsheikh could not immediately be reached for comment.

Alsheikh, who achieved the rank of brigadier general while working in the Syrian police and domestic intelligence agency, oversaw hangings and brutal beatings while head of the Adra prison, according to a criminal complaint that cited US law enforcement interviews with former inmates.

The prison, located in a Damascus suburb, housed political dissidents and others accused of crimes. His time at the prison pre-dated the Syrian civil war when armed rebel groups sought to depose the Assad-led government.

Alsheikh was later appointed by Assad as governor of the Deir Ez-Zor province in eastern Syria.

The indictment alleges Alsheikh made false statements concealing his role at the prison, political persecution of dissidents and association with Syria’s ruling Ba’ath Party when he applied for a US visa in 2020 and again when seeking citizenship in 2023.

Alsheikh was able to secure a green card, making him a lawful permanent US resident, in 2020.

He was charged with attempted naturalization fraud and obtaining a green card through false statements. Alsheiekh has not yet entered a plea and is scheduled to make his next court appearance on Aug. 16