National of Bosnia and Herzegovina charged with attempting to fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship by failing to disclose role in abuse of prisoners

BOISE - An investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations Seattle and the FBI has led to an indictment charging Bosnian national Miran Kostic, 66, of Boise, with lying to try to obtain U.S. citizenship.

Kostic is charged with attempted naturalization fraud and making materially false statements to law enforcement agents. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each charge of attempted naturalization fraud, and five years in prison for the false statements charge.

The case is being tried in the U.S. District of Idaho It's being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho and the Department of Justice's Criminal Division's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions section.

In his applications to become a U.S. citizen, and in interviews with the FBI and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, he repeatedly lied about the abuse he ordered or participated in and failed to disclose charges filed against him in Bosnia and Herzegovina for war crimes.

"Citizenship is a privilege that must be earned with honesty and integrity," said HSI Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. "HSI will not allow the naturalization process to be undermined by fraud. We remain steadfast in our commitment to investigate and prosecute those who conceal their criminal backgrounds to illegally obtain status."

According to court documents, Kostic was a high-level official in the so-called Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia.

In that role, he pistol-whipped prisoners; beat them with wooden clubs, stakes and his fists; and kicked them, causing them to lose consciousness. He forced prisoners to beat each other, according to the documents, and he also ordered other members of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia to beat prisoners.

Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin's leadership, ICE is enforcing the laws enacted by Congress and making American communities safer.

HSI and the FBI are investigating the case, with coordination provided by the Department of Homeland Security's Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Office of Fraud Detection and National Security, along with the FBI's International Human Rights Unit.

The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance by securing evidence for Kostic's prosecution. The Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations' International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals were instrumental in furthering the investigation.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact Homeland Security Investigations at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or through ICE's online tip form.

Learn more about this case here.