Albanian Man Convicted of Three Murders Detained in Ohio

Sokol Hoxha, 50, was arrested in Kettering, Ohio, after authorities determined he had lived in the United States under a false identity for 14 years. Hoxha was convicted in absentia of killing two brothers in Patos, Albania, in 1997 and received a 25-year prison sentence. He was also accused of killing his 19-year-old wife in Belgium after she refused his demand that she work as a prostitute.

After the killings, Hoxha fled to Britain using a false identity and presented himself as a refugee from Kosovo. GB News reported that he obtained asylum and later British citizenship under the alias. Hoxha moved to the United States in 2012 and secured lawful permanent resident status while continuing to conceal his true identity.

A spokesman for the US Marshals Service said authorities determined he had assumed a fraudulent identity after fleeing Belgium. The six-year fugitive investigation was coordinated by Interpol Washington with law enforcement agencies from multiple countries.

Both the National Crime Agency and the Home Office participated in tracing Hoxha's movements and verifying his immigration status.

News reported that Hoxha's case is one of several involving Albanian nationals who obtained British citizenship using false Kosovan identities. Other individuals cited include Avni Metra, Afrim Sinani, Arsimi Murati, and Ilir Kumbaro, each of whom faced criminal convictions in Albania before entering Britain.

The US Marshals Service spokesman stated that the United States would not provide sanctuary for foreign criminals who obtain immigration status through fraud.