A former resident of Connecticut has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to lying about her past criminal conduct in order to obtain U.S. citizenship. Nada Radovan Tomanic, 53, who now lives in West Virginia and previously resided in Hartford, admitted on November 10, 2025, that she concealed her involvement in war crimes committed during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
According to court documents, Tomanic served with the Zulfikar Special Unit of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s. She participated with other unit members in physically and psychologically abusing Bosnian Serb civilian prisoners.
When applying for naturalization in 2012, Tomanic denied serving at a detention facility or being involved in detaining others. She also denied committing any crime for which she had not been arrested, specifically inflicting serious bodily harm under Yugoslavian law. These denials were made both on her written application and during an interview under oath with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti stated: “The defendant obtained the privileges of U.S. citizenship through lies and deceit, concealing the violent crimes she committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Department is fully committed to holding accountable those who exploit our immigration system and pose a threat to public safety.”
U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut commented: “Covering up past human rights abuses to attain U.S. citizenship is an egregious offense, and I thank our law enforcement partners both here in the U.S. and in Bosnia and Herzegovina for investigating this matter to ensure that justice is done.”
Special Agent in Charge P.J. O’Brien of the FBI added: “Individuals who lie on their naturalization documents undermine the process for all who justly apply to be a part of our great nation. Tomanic’s admissions of fraud are detestable because of her history of targeting people based on their ethnicity and religion. The FBI, along with our partners at the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of Fraud Detection and National Security will continue to investigate crimes of this nature to ensure the sanctity of the immigration process for all who righteously apply for U.S. Citizenship.”
Tomanic pleaded guilty to one count of procuring citizenship contrary to law. Sentencing is scheduled for February 3, 2026; she faces up to ten years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Elizabeth Nielsen from the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) along with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Anastasia King from Connecticut, with support from HRSP historians as well as assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.
The FBI led the investigation with coordination from several agencies including Homeland Security’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center (HRVWCC), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS), as well as international cooperation from authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and support from United Nations mechanisms.
Members of the public who have information about human rights violators living in the United States are encouraged to contact either the FBI or Homeland Security Investigations through provided tip lines or online forms.
