A Nazi officer accused of war crimes has been living in Minnesota for more than 60 years after lying to American immigration officials to enter the country, the Associated Press reported Friday.
Michael Karkoc, a Minneapolis resident, may face deportation and prosecution regarding allegations that he was the top commander when his company burned villages filled with women and children during World War II.
The evidence includes Nazi SS files implicating Karkoc’s unit in a 1944 suppression of Polish troops known as the Warsaw Uprising and records confirming his membership in two SS-linked divisions. Polish and German officials have said they will investigate and consider prosecuting Karkoc, 94, for the crimes committed under his command.
Another German lieutenant was convicted in 2009 of murder based on evidence that placed him as the top commander during a massacre in Italy.