MAY 31, 2023TUCSON, AZ
Man convicted of immigration fraud after lying about atrocities committed during Bosnian Civil War following HSI Tucson investigation
TUCSON, Ariz. — On May 19, after a nine-day jury trial, a federal judge convicted a Tucson man of charges related to visa fraud and attempted unlawful procurement of citizenship. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and its Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC) investigated the case.
“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,” said HSI Arizona Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown. “Simply put, those who knowingly and willfully misrepresent themselves, especially those who are considered national security threats, war criminals and human rights violators, to try and obtain U.S. citizenship status, will be held accountable for their deceitful actions. This defendant was found guilty due to the unwavering commitment by those who investigated and are prosecuting this case.”
In 2009, HSI special agents launched an investigation after receiving a roster of a police brigade suspected of various atrocities during the 1990s war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The roster included Sinisa Djurdjic’s name; Djurdjic immigrated to the United States in 2000. HSI discovered that, on various U.S. immigration applications, Djurdjic had denied serving in foreign military and police units. The multiyear international investigation confirmed that Djurdjic was indeed a member of the police brigade and other Bosnian-Serb military units and that he harmed prisoners in his custody.
https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/man-convicted-immigration-fraud-after-lying-about-atrocities-committed-during-bosnian
