A federal grand jury in Idaho has indicted a Bosnian national living in Boise on charges that he lied while trying to become a U.S. citizen, with investigations led by HSI and the FBI and evidence gathered with international cooperation.
Miran Kostic, 66, was charged last week after a grand jury in the District of Idaho returned an indictment alleging he concealed violent conduct and pending charges when he applied for naturalization. The indictment accuses him of making false statements during interviews with law enforcement and immigration officials while seeking U.S. citizenship.
Court documents describe Kostic as a senior official in the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia, where he is alleged to have physically abused detainees. He reportedly pistol-whipped prisoners, beat them with clubs, stakes, and his fists, kicked them until they lost consciousness, and forced captives to assault each other.
Prosecutors say Kostic repeatedly lied on his naturalization paperwork and in interviews with the FBI and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, omitting criminal charges filed against him in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He faces counts of attempted naturalization fraud and making material false statements to agents, accusations that carry serious federal penalties.
If convicted, Kostic could receive up to 10 years in prison for each count of attempted naturalization fraud and up to five years for the false statements charge. “Miran Kostic benefited from U.S. residency for decades and ultimately attempted to become a naturalized citizen, all while concealing the human rights abuses he committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Individuals who commit atrocities abroad and lie to immigration authorities to seek safe haven in the United States will be investigated and prosecuted. The integrity of our naturalization process and the enforcement of our immigration laws are paramount concerns.”
Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are leading the probe, with coordination from DHS’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and USCIS’s Office of Fraud Detection and National Security. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to work with our partners to ensure federal immigration laws are followed and are properly enforced,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis for the District of Idaho.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs helped secure evidence needed for prosecution, and authorities acknowledged cooperation from the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. That cross-border assistance was described as instrumental in advancing the investigation and assembling the case for indictment.
“Citizenship is a privilege that must be earned with honesty and integrity,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle. “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.”
Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Horwitz for the District of Idaho are handling the prosecution. Their work will focus on proving the allegations in federal court and demonstrating whether Kostic intentionally misrepresented his past to federal authorities.
“Kostic’s attempt to conceal his violent history in order to obtain U.S. citizenship will not be tolerated,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate fraud and hold individuals accountable for violating our nation’s laws.”
Members of the public with information about human rights violators in the United States are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI (1-800-225-5324) or Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423). Tips can be provided by phone to assist ongoing inquiries and to help identify individuals who may have concealed violent pasts.
An indictment is only an accusation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case will proceed through the federal system where evidence will be tested and legal standards applied before any conviction can be handed down.
