Feds: Colombian fugitive convicted of wife’s murder found living in Massachusetts with new family
A man on the run from Colombian authorities since the 1994 murder of his wife and shooting of his daughter has been found living in Massachusetts with a new family, the FBI said.
William Hernando Usma Acosta, 61, fled Colombia 27 years ago after he shot and killed his wife and shot his daughter as she tried to intervene, according to the FBI. He was convicted in absentia in Colombia for both shootings.
Usma Acosta was found living in Belmont under the alias Carlos Alberto Rendon. He was arrested Wednesday as he headed to work in Waltham.
Colombian authorities sentenced Usma Acosta to 45 years in prison and 10 years of Restricted Citizen’s Rights in 1996. That sentence was later reduced to 28 years and six months under new guidelines.
The FBI said Usma Acosta crossed into the United States from Mexico in 1995. As Rendon, he married an American citizen three years later and obtained permanent resident status while living in Somerville, according to the FBI.
Since then, he moved to Belmont with his wife and son.
He submited a Colombian birth certificate and fingerprints when he applied for naturalization in 2020. The FBI said it matched those fingerprints to Usma Acosta’s, which were provided by the Colombian National Police, and found that his birth certificate was fake.
“William Hernando Usma Acosta is a convicted cold-blooded killer who thought he could evade justice by entering the United States and creating a new identity for himself so he could live under the radar. He needs to face justice for what he did, and today’s arrest ensures that he will,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division. “The Commonwealth of Massachusetts will not be a safe haven for those wanted in their native countries, and the FBI will continue to leverage our international partnerships to remove dangerous fugitives like him from our communities.”
Immigration authorities will begin proceedings to extradite Usma Acosta to Colombia.
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