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In Brief | Jean « Zo » Pelice of 400 Mawozo gang, accused of kidnapping sixteen American missionaries in Haiti

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In March 2022, Pelice converted to Protestantism

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After Germine Joly alias Yonyon, another leader of the 400 Mawozo gang is incarcerated in the United States for the kidnapping of the sixteen North American missionaries on October 16, 2021.

Jean Pelice,  27, a member of the 400 Mawozo gang, has been detained in the United States since May 16, 2022, on a warrant after his arrest in the Dominican Republic.

He makes his first appearance in an American court on Thursday, July 7.

According to the indictment issued by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Matthew M. Graves, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Miami Field Office, John J. Bernardo, Pelice is accused of participating in the kidnapping of seventeen Christian missionaries. Sixteen of which  were U.S. citizens.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice document, Pelice and other members of the Mawozo gang, used guns to detain the missionaries during their captivity.

« 400 Mawozo demanded a ransom to free the missionaries, and one of the gang’s stated objectives in detaining the hostages was to secure  the release  of Joly Germine, a leader of 400 Mawozo,   imprisoned by the Haitian government, » the document states.

Pelice alias Zo, had turned his back on the  400 Mawozo in March 2022 to take refuge in the Dominican Republic. From the neighboring country, he revealed the secret activities of his gang.

During a prayer session posted in March on  Pastor Lochard Remy’s YouTube channel , who had been recently freed by 400 Mawozo, Jean Pelice, still known  under the alias Zo ti David, converted to Christianity.

« Today, God will change my name. I will no longer be called Zo ti David the revolutionary, but rather Brother David, » said the former member of the 400 Mawozo gang who participated in  the prayer program.

« Misery had brought me down, God. Now I’m back to take my place and preach the word of  the Lord, » Zo ti David added.


English translation by Didenique Jocelyn and Sarah Jean.


English translation by Didenique Jocelyn and Sarah Jean.

Fenel Pélissier est avocat au Barreau de Petit-Goâve, professeur de langues vivantes et passionné de littérature.

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