Feds unseal charges against ‘Barbecue,’ Haitian gang leader with $5M bounty on his head

U.S. authorities have indicted Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, a Haitian gang leader, and Bazile Richardson, a naturalized U.S. citizen, for conspiring to send U.S. funds to finance Chérizier’s gang. Chérizier, currently a fugitive believed to be in Haiti, was sanctioned in 2020 under the Magnitsky Act for human rights abuses, including the 2018 La Saline massacre. Richardson was arrested in Texas for allegedly sending money to Chérizier despite knowing of the sanctions. The DOJ said funds were used to pay gang members and buy firearms. The State Department is offering up to $5 million for information leading to Chérizier’s arrest. The indictment marks the first under the Magnitsky Act for someone sanctioned for human rights violations.