Haitian gang leader sentenced to life for 62-day missionary hostage ordeal

A man identified by federal prosecutors as a Haitian gang leader was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for his role in organizing the 2021 hostage taking of 16 American citizens, including five children.

Joly Germine, 34, of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, was also ordered by the court to pay a $1,700 fine.

Ministry of Justice said The victims were part of Ohio-based Christian Relief Ministries and were returning from working at an orphanage in October 2021 when they were taken hostage.

“The missionary group included 12 adults and five young children, including a 6-year-old, a 3-year-old, and an 8-month-old. 16 of the victims were U.S. citizens from Christian Relief Ministries,” said DCUS Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “This sentence makes clear that Germine’s plan to gain freedom for herself by using Christians as pawns has backfired.”

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prosecutors he said in the court filing He and his lawyers have denied allegations that Germine led the violent Haitian gang “400 Mawozo” while in prison and directed the group’s operations using unmonitored cell phones.

Germine was allegedly in constant contact with 400 other Mawozo leaders, most of whom were his relatives, seeking to secure his release from prison in exchange for hostages. Most were held at gunpoint for 62 days until they escaped.

The Haitian government transferred Germine from a Haitian prison to U.S. custody in May 2022 after an arrest warrant was issued.

An inmate’s uniform hangs on barbed wire at the Croix-des-Bouquets prison following a mass escape and deadly violence near Port-au-Prince on February 25, 2021. (Reginald Louissaint Jr/AFP via Getty Images)

“This case demonstrates that the Department of Justice will be relentless in our efforts to catch anyone who kidnaps a U.S. citizen abroad,” said then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We will use the full powers of our law enforcement to hold accountable anyone who undermines the safety of Americans anywhere in the world.”

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Germine was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison last year for his role in a gun-smuggling conspiracy that included smuggling firearms to Haiti and laundering the ransom money the gang collected.

Kenyan police stand guard outside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, July 5, 2024, as armed gangs continue to cause unrest in nearby areas. (Guerinault Louis/Anatolia via Getty Images)

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Ray Noecker, whose wife, Cheryl, and five children were held hostage, said at sentencing that the ordeal was a “life-changing experience” for his family. He told Germine He hopes to find “the peace of God.”

“True freedom is not found outside prison walls. True freedom is found inside your own heart,” Noecker said.