Minnesota Man Accused of Being Nazi War Criminal
MALVEAUX: In Minneapolis, a 94-year-old man is accused of being part of a Nazi-led military unit that was responsible for many deaths. His son says he is not a Nazi. Miguel Marquez has the story.</s>MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Is he or isn't he? The allegation that 94-year-old Michael Karkoc hid his Nazi past for nearly 70 years has shocked this suburb.</s>GORDON GNASDONSKY, NEIGHBOR: The Nazi thing was big. I would feel differently about him.</s>MARQUEZ: The allegations begin with his own memoir published in the Ukraine in 1995. Karkoc admits he helped found the Ukrainian Self- Defense Legion, an offshoot of Hitler's brutal S.S. division. His son insists his father is innocent.</s>ANDRIJ KARKOC, SON OF MICHAEL KARKOC: The associated press intentionally and maliciously defamed our father, Michael Karkoc.</s>MARQUEZ: The Associated Press alleges that Mr. Karkoc lied about his military service when he entered the U.S. in 1949, was in charge of the Nazi-directed division when it nearly wiped out the population of a Polish town, and even may have taken part in the ruthless suppression of Warsaw towards the end of the war. Even the Associated Press admits there is no evidence that Mr. Karkoc was directly involved in any of it.</s>KARKOC: To quote the A.P., "Records do not show that Karkoc had a direct hand in war crimes," end quote. My father was never a Nazi.</s>MARQUEZ: Still, the A.P. says it sticks by its reporting. And the U.S. Department of Justice will only say it looks into all credible allegations of Nazi war crimes. If this is found to be credible, finding Mr. Karkoc in court would be a long process. (on camera): A very long process. If these charges move forward, Mr. Karkoc would have to be denaturalized, deported, and then tried in either Germany or Poland. Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>MALVEAUX: If you're looking to buy a house, you'll want to listen to this. Home price, mortgage rates both on the rise. Coming up, why now is the time to lock it? Then, Jay-Z making a big announcement during an NBA game. He's offering up his 12 albums for free. We'll explain that, next.