BOSNIAN NATIONAL CONVICTED OF MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS

Boston, MA... A Bosnian national formerly residing in Peabody, Massachusetts was convicted today by a federal trial jury on charges that he made false statements in applications to the United States for refugee and permanent resident alien status by not revealing his complete military history as required. The jury found the defendant not guilty of lying about persecuting or killing anyone because of race, religion or political opinion. The defendant was a member of a Bosnian-Serb military unit involved in the killings of hundreds of Bosnian Muslims in the former Yugoslavia in 1995 and as a member of the Unit, killed Bosnian Muslims.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Kenneth W. Kaiser, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Matthew J. Etre, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced today that MARKO BOSKIC, age 42, of Peabody, Massachusetts, was convicted by a jury sitting before U.S. District Judge Douglas P. Woodlock of two counts of immigration document fraud. BOSKIC was arrested on August 25, 2004, on a criminal complaint in connection with these charges. He has been in federal custody since that time.

Evidence presented during the eight-day trial proved that BOSKIC, a Bosnian national, is a former member of a Bosnian-Serb military unit within the Army of the Republic Srpska which was involved in the killing of hundreds of Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995. As a member of the Bosnian-Serb Army of the Republic Srpska (also known as the "VRS") BOSKIC participated in the murder of Bosnian Muslims. BOSKIC lied about his military involvement to the INS to gain admission into the United States.

While residing in Frankfurt, Germany, BOSKIC applied for United States refugee status in February of 2000. When asked on a form whether he had ever been in the military, he responded only that he fulfilled his mandatory military service in the Yugoslavian military in the early 1980s. The jury found that the statement was false. Additionally, another count of the Indictment alleged that BOSKIC lied when he responded to another question on the form that he had never participated in the persecution of any person because of race, religion or political opinion. The jury found BOSKIC not guilty of that count. As a result of his application, BOSKIC was admitted to the United States in 2000.
In April of 2001, BOSKIC applied to become a lawful permanent alien in the United States. Similarly, the application requested the applicant's military history. BOSKIC indicated only his mandatory Yugoslavian military service. The jury found that this statement was false. BOSKIC was also asked whether he had ever participated in genocide or murdered any person because of race, religion or political opinion and he responded in the negative. The jury found the defendant not guilty of a count that alleged that this statement was false.

BOSKIC failed to reveal to INS that in the 1990's, he had been a member in the Army of Republic Srpska's 10th Sabotage Detachment, a Bosnian-Serb military unit involved in the killings of hundreds of Muslims at Srebrenica in July 1995 and that he had personally participated in those killings. The defense had argued that BOSKIC was acting under duress when he had participated in the massacre of Muslim civilians. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia ("ICTY"), formed by the United Nations in 1993 to address war crimes committed in Yugoslavia, had provided the United States with a video of the 10th Sabotage Detachment at an awards ceremony in the fall of 1995. The video was played for the jury during the trial. In the video BOSKIC is clearly visible, in uniform and at attention, holding a rifle.

Judge Woodlock scheduled sentencing for October 24, 2006 at 2:30 pm. BOSKIC faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine on each of the two immigration document fraud charges. BOSKIC also faces deportation to his native Bosnia and Herzegovina following the completion of any prison sentence that may be imposed.

The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Peabody Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly West and Jeffrey Auerhahn in Sullivan's of Sullivan's Anti-Terrorism and National Security Section.

Press Contact: Samantha Martin, (617) 748-3139