Connecticut Woman Sentenced to 30 Months for Lying About Bosnia War Crimes in U.S. Citizenship Application

S. citizenship by concealing her past criminal conduct related to abuses in the Bosnian conflict of the 1990s, according to the Justice Department. The sentencing occurred on April 13, 2026. The case highlights efforts to hold individuals accountable for human rights violations through immigration processes.

Nada Radovan Tomanić, 53, pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025, to one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law. Prosecutors stated that she served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the armed conflict. Alongside other unit members, she participated in the severe physical and psychological abuse of Bosnian Serb civilian prisoners, including torture and inhuman treatment that amounted to a war crime.

During her naturalization process in 2012, Tomanić falsely denied having served in a detention facility or in any situation involving the detention of others, according to court documents. She also falsely denied committing a crime for which she had not been arrested, specifically the crime of inflicting serious bodily harm under the Criminal Law of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia.

These deceptions occurred despite her legal obligation to provide truthful information.

Deception During Naturalization Interview The deception continued during Tomanić's naturalization interview with a U.

S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer. Placed under oath, she again lied about her service in a detention facility and her past criminal conduct. This violated the requirements for lawful naturalization, which demand full disclosure of relevant history.

S. S. and become a citizen," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva for the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "Human rights violators are not welcome in the United States. officials for the District of Connecticut praised the work of law enforcement partners in the United States and Bosnia.

A representative from the FBI New Haven Field Office stated that the investigation revealed Tomanić’s violent history of targeting people based on their ethnicity and religion and expressed hope that the sentencing would bring some measure of justice to her victims.

Investigation and International Cooperation The FBI led the investigation, with coordination from the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, U.

S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security, and the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. Authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including government ministries, Serbian authorities, and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, provided assistance.

The Bosnian conflict, which lasted from 1992 to 1995, involved widespread ethnic violence and war crimes, resulting in over 100,000 deaths and the displacement of millions. Tomanić's actions occurred within this context, where various armed groups committed documented abuses against civilians. S.

naturalization process requires applicants to disclose any involvement in such activities to prevent individuals responsible for serious crimes from gaining citizenship. S. authorities to investigate and prosecute war crimes through immigration enforcement.

Revocation of citizenship is a common outcome in similar cases, followed by potential deportation. The sentencing serves as a deterrent for others who might conceal international criminal histories during the application process. Affected parties include the victims of the abuses, who may find some closure through this accountability, as well as the broader Bosnian Serb community impacted by the conflict.

Future proceedings could involve denaturalization and removal from the United States. The Justice Department continues to collaborate internationally to address unresolved cases from the 1990s conflicts.