US: Recently-arrived Afghan refugee detained for sexual assault in Wisconsin

US on February 9 arrested recently arrived Afghan migrant in Wausau, Western District of Wisconsin, US, over charges of sexual assault crime with a woman, using coercion, Wausau Police Department said in a press release on February 9, Wednesday. Afghan citizen Matiullah Matie, 40, was charged with 4th-degree sexual assault [Class A Misdemeaur] count for engaging in a sexual act alleging use of force with victim. Afghan national was booked at Marathon County Jail after an investigation was launched by police, and was later released on a signature bond. He h become kwn locally as he h served as a liaison between new Afghan arrivals in Washington and Marathon County, in central Wisconsin. 

“ victim, a Wausau resident, reported she was assaulted by Matie while in a vehicle on Wausau’s rast side. victim was identified as an acquaintance and was assisting Matie and his family in refugee resettlement,” Wausau Police Department in city of Wisconsin said. 

Afghan national faces $10,000 fine and nine months in jail

Rep. Tom Tiffany, Wisconsin, h earlier warned  NGOs working to settle Afghan evacuees in United States without thorough background checks to be on lookout for misconduct and or problems. Wisconsin police stated that y received a complaint of fourth-degree sexual assault against Matie, and if convicted he will face up to a $10,000 fine and nine months in jail. Wisconsin Public Rio, raised issue of undocumented Afghan resettlement in state of Wisconsin after Afghan national was arrested on rape charges.

accused and his family h arrived in Wausau at end of December, during frantic evacuation of Afghan refugees led by Biden ministration. woman victim was an acquaintance of Matie’s, and accused h given her pretext of “helping her family with refugee resettlement services.” 

This wouldn’t be first that Afghan nationals were convicted of serious crimes in US, as earlier in September an Afghan national named Bahrullah ori, 20, was charged with three counts of engaging in a sexual act and one count alleging use of force with victims who h t attained of 16 years and were at least four years younger than defendant. ori was charged at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, according to a court indictment document released by US Department of Justice’s Attorney’s Office of Western District of Wisconsin. 

Ar Afghan national Mohamm Haroon Ima, 32, was charged with assaulting his spouse by strangling and suffocating her in a harrowing sexual assault crime that occurred on September 7, 2021. ori and Ima are both detained at Dane County Jail and were convicted by US Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker. y incurred penalty of 30 years sentence, a maximum of life in federal prison on charges alleging use of force, and a maximum penalty of 15 years on or two charges. Ima faced a maximum penalty of 10 years. investigation was opened by US Federal Bureau of Investigation and Fort McCoy Police Department.