Connecticut Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining U.S. Citizenship
Published Apr 10, 2026
Nada Radovan Tomanic, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for naturalization fraud. USCIS played a key role in the investigation, which found she concealed her participation in torture and war crimes during the 1990s Bosnian conflict when applying for citizenship.
Key points
- Tomanic, 53, of West Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for procuring citizenship contrary to law.
- She had served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and participated in torture and inhumane treatment of Bosnian Serb civilian prisoners, amounting to war crimes.
- When applying for naturalization in 2012, she lied about serving in a detention facility and about a prior crime (inflicting serious bodily harm under Yugoslav criminal law).
- She repeated these false statements under oath during her USCIS interview.
- She pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025 to one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law.
- The case was investigated by the FBI, DHS's Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, and USCIS's Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate.
Who is affected
The case affects individuals who concealed past criminal conduct or human rights violations when applying for U.S. citizenship.
What to do
Members of the public with information about human rights violators in the United States can contact the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, or submit a tip through the USCIS Tip Form.
Full text
The complete official text was archived on this site on 2026-10-13. It stays available here even if the source link changes or is removed.
Release Date
04/10/2026
BRIDGEPORT, CONN. – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services played a key role in the investigation that led to the sentencing of Nada Radovan Tomanic, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina, to 30 months in prison for naturalization fraud. Tomanic concealed her prior criminal conduct to unlawfully obtain U.S. citizenship. The U.S. attorney’s office made the announcement.
According to statements made in court and court documents, Nada Radovan Tomanic, 53, of West Virginia, served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s, during the armed conflict in the region. Along with other Zulfikar Special Unit soldiers, Tomanic participated in the severe physical and psychological abuse of Bosnian Serb civilian prisoners, including torture and inhumane treatment amounting to a war crime.
When applying for U.S. naturalization in 2012, Tomanic lied about serving in a detention facility or in any other situation involving the detention of others. She also lied about 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.
Tomanic’s deception extended beyond her written naturalization application. During her interview with USCIS, she was placed under oath and required by law to provide truthful answers. Despite that obligation, she again lied about her service in a detention facility and her past criminal conduct.
Tomanic pleaded guilty on Nov. 10, 2025, to one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law.
The FBI investigated the case, with coordination provided by the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center and the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, along with the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. The Justice Department thanks authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina, to include the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska Ministry of Interior, Serbian authorities, and the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which were instrumental in providing assistance that furthered the investigation.
Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anastasia King and Angel Krull for the District of Connecticut prosecuted the case, with assistance from HRSP historians. The Justice Department Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators in the United States are urged to contact the FBI at 800-CALLFBI (800-225-5324) or the FBI’s online tip form, or Homeland Security Investigations at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or ICE’s online tip form.
To report suspected immigration benefit fraud or abuse to USCIS, please use the USCIS Tip Form.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn.
04/10/2026
Original title: Connecticut Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Citizenship After Committing Torture and War Crimes in Bosnia
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