(HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT) A woman who built a new life in the United States 🇺🇸 after the Bosnian War has admitted in federal court that she lied to get U.S. citizenship, hiding her role in past abuses during the conflict. Nada Radovan Tomanic, 53, formerly of Hartford, pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025, in Bridgeport federal court to a criminal charge of procuring citizenship contrary to law, according to federal prosecutors.
Allegations and plea
Prosecutors say Tomanic, a naturalized American originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, took part in the abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners during the war in the 1990s. Years later, when she applied for U.S. citizenship, she allegedly gave false answers and hid those events from immigration officials. By doing so, she obtained citizenship that the government now argues she was never legally allowed to receive.
In court, Tomanic admitted that she gave false information to U.S. authorities about her past. Her plea means she accepts that she knowingly lied about key parts of her background when she sought naturalization. Giving false answers to questions about participation in human rights violations is not just a technical problem on a form; under U.S. law it is a federal crime that can lead to criminal punishment and the loss of citizenship obtained through fraud.
Context: the Bosnian War and immigration screening
The case reaches back to the Bosnian War, a brutal conflict that tore apart communities in the former Yugoslavia and led to mass displacement and long-lasting trauma. Many people who fled the violence later applied to enter the United States as refugees or immigrants, and some eventually sought U.S. citizenship.
American immigration forms ask detailed questions about possible war crimes, persecution, or abuses against prisoners, placing applicants under oath to answer truthfully. According to prosecutors, when Tomanic completed those forms, she denied involvement in such acts and concealed what they describe as her role in the abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners. Those denials are central to the government’s claim that she obtained naturalization “contrary to law” by telling lies about past abuses.
The legal theory is that if the truth had been known during the application process, immigration officers would likely have denied her U.S. citizenship. That makes the misrepresentation material — important enough to affect the decision.
Officials did not publicly detail in this case the exact nature of the alleged abuse, but the charge itself focuses on the act of lying rather than the underlying wartime conduct.
Legal framework and risks
When people apply for citizenship using forms such as Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, they must answer questions about past arrests, military service, and any involvement in persecution or abuse. Those forms are signed under penalty of perjury, and interviews with officers can explore the same questions.
Lying in this context can lead to criminal cases like Tomanic’s, years or even decades after citizenship is granted. A conviction for procuring citizenship contrary to law can also open the door to separate civil steps to strip naturalized status.
Key points about legal consequences:
– Criminal conviction may result in prison, fines, or other penalties.
– Civil denaturalization proceedings can remove citizenship obtained by fraud.
– Once denaturalized, an individual may face deportation and an uncertain future.
Pattern in other cases
Cases tied to the Bosnian War have appeared in U.S. courts before, often involving people who failed to disclose wartime roles when seeking refugee status, permanent residence, or citizenship. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, these prosecutions send a message that even long-settled immigrants can face legal action if they obtained legal status by lies about past abuses.
The Tomanic case fits into that pattern, showing that time alone does not erase the government’s interest in past human rights violations.
Community impact and perspectives
For communities that lived through the Bosnian War, such cases can reopen painful memories. Survivors who resettled in the United States sometimes discover, years later, that someone who shared their refugee journey is accused of being on the other side of the violence.
The government’s decision to bring charges can:
– Provide a measure of recognition to victims.
– Stir fear among immigrants who worry that any mistake or misunderstanding on paperwork could threaten their status.
Human rights advocates often argue that holding people accountable for wartime abuse, even in immigration courts and criminal cases abroad, helps reinforce the idea that there is no safe haven for serious offenders. In this case, prosecutors framed the charges not only as a fraud against the U.S. government but as part of a broader effort to prevent the country from becoming a refuge for those who harmed others during the conflict.
Guidance for current applicants
This case underscores how seriously federal authorities treat false statements in the naturalization process. For people going through this process today, official resources such as the USCIS Citizenship Resource Center explain the importance of full honesty on forms and in interviews.
Practical advice commonly given by immigration lawyers:
1. Disclose any wartime or organizational involvement, even if painful or complicated.
2. Review forms carefully with a qualified attorney when past events might trigger human rights questions.
3. Understand that honest disclosure is generally safer than risking later criminal charges or denaturalization.
What happens next in the Tomanic case
The Department of Justice has not yet publicly detailed what sentence it will seek, and the plea agreement terms have not been fully disclosed. Sentencing and any later actions related to her status will unfold in the months ahead.
For now, the case stands as a stark example of how events from the Bosnian War can still shape lives in Connecticut and across the country decades later, especially when lies about past abuses collide with the strict demands of the U.S. citizenship system.
This Article in a Nutshell
Nada Radovan Tomanic pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025, in federal court to procuring U.S. citizenship by lying, admitting she concealed alleged participation in abuse of Bosnian Serb prisoners during the 1990s war. Prosecutors say her false answers on naturalization forms were material and would likely have changed the outcome. Criminal conviction can bring prison or fines and may prompt civil denaturalization and deportation. The case echoes earlier prosecutions tied to the Bosnian War and underscores the importance of truthful disclosure on Form N-400.
