A former Bosnian refugee who settled in Tucson has been convicted of lying about his ties to police and military forces linked to violent acts during the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, officials said.
Sinisa Djurdjic, 50, migrated to Tucson under the United States refugee program in 2000. He was convicted in federal court here May 19 of visa fraud and unlawful procurement of citizenship, a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Arizona said.
The verdict came after a nine-day jury trial presided over by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.
Djurdjic is scheduled to appear for sentencing on Aug. 8.
The case dates back to 2009 when Homeland Security Investigations began an investigation into a former member of a police brigade suspected of committing numerous atrocities during the war, the news release said.
As part of the investigation, Homeland Security received information indicating that Djurdjic was a member of the brigade. Djurdjic had repeatedly denied serving in foreign military and police units on his immigration applications.
An international investigation spanning several years confirmed Djurdjic's association with the police brigade and other Bosnian-Serb military units, the release said. The investigation also established that Djurdjic was involved in mistreating prisoners while working as a prison guard at two prison camps.
These camps were established by the Bosnian-Serb entity known as "Republika Srpska" during the civil war. The goal of the camps was "ethnic cleansing" and excluding Bosnian Muslims and Catholic Croats from certain regions in Bosnia, prosecutors said.
U.S. agents made multiple trips to Bosnia, conducted interviews with numerous witnesses and gathered documentation from the Bosnian and Serbian governments, as well as from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague.
During the trial, five Bosnian men who were former prisoners at the camps testified about the abuses they endured or witnessed at the hands of Djurdjic, the release said.
The prosecution also presented extensive evidence demonstrating that Djurdjic had deliberately misled immigration officials by providing false information about his military and police service in order to obtain legal status, the release said.
United States Attorney Gary Restaino expressed admiration in the news release for the Bosnian witnesses.
"We commend the courage and tenacity of the Bosnians who testified against the defendant and held him accountable for his false statements while seeking legal status in the United States,” Restaino said.
While Restaino emphasized the significance of providing opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers, he stressed the need to prevent individuals from dishonestly obtaining citizenship.
Scott Brown, special agent in charge of Homeland Security in Arizona, echoed Restaino's sentiments in the news release.
“When a person attempts to become a U.S. citizen under false pretenses, it jeopardizes our naturalization process — and it is especially damaging to those who faithfully follow the judicial system,” Brown said.
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