The United States has initiated proceedings to revoke the citizenship of a Florida man accused of persecuting Jews during World War II.
Adolph Milius, 78, a retired physician from St. Petersburg Beach, Fla., is suspected of being a member of the Saugumas, the Lithuanian security police, for the Vilnius province in the summer and fall of 1941.
The responsibilities of the Vilnius Saugumas paralleled those of the Nazi Gestapo.
The Office of Special Investigations, the Nazi-hunting arm of the U.S. Justice Department, filed a complaint Dec. 10 in U.S. District Court in Tampa.
The complaint specifically alleges that Milius, also known as Adolfas Milinavicius, took part in the arrest of Jews seeking to escape the Vilnius ghetto. The complaint cites original wartime records in the Lithuanian Central State Archives.
“The Vilnius province Saugumas played a key role in the annihilation of more than 50,000 Jews in Vilnius,” said Eli Rosenbaum, OSI director.
In May, the United States denaturalized Aleksandras Lileikis, former chief of the Vilnius Saugumas. He has since fled to Lithuania.
In June, Kazys Gimzauskas, former deputy chief of the Vilnius Saugumas, was stripped of his U.S. citizenship. He also has since fled to Lithuania.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
