62-Year-Old Sierra Leonean Man Convicted of Visa Fraud Deported from U.S.

Prince Solomon Knox, a 62-year-old Sierra Leonean national, has been deported from the United States and returned to Sierra Leone.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the removal, which took place on March 1st.

Knox was arrested by ICE in St. Louis on February 4th, following previous convictions for visa fraud and domestic assault. He had lied about his past affiliations with armed groups, including the notorious Revolutionary United Front (RUF), during his U.S. visa application.

Knox entered the United States through Chicago O’Hare International Airport on April 14, 2004. He came under ICE scrutiny in 2006 during an investigation into fraudulent refugee resettlement claims. Witnesses testified to his involvement with multiple combatant groups in West Africa, specifically the RUF, known for its brutal tactics, including the widespread use of child soldiers and the amputation of limbs.

“This is an example of someone not only attempting to escape responsibility in their home country, but also depriving those in the global community of the opportunity to seek desperately needed relief,” stated Sam Olson, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Chicago Field Office Director.

The investigation led to a federal grand jury indictment on two counts of visa fraud and two counts of false statements. Knox was arrested in 2006, convicted in 2007 by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and sentenced to 12 months in prison.

An immigration judge ordered his removal in 2008, and he was subsequently placed under supervision pending his deportation.