A Barberton man was indicted for immigration fraud for failing to disclose his participation in the Srebenica massacre, said Carole S. Rendon, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio and Marlon Miller, Special Agent in Charge of HSI’s Detroit office.
Oliver Dragic, 41, was named in the three-count indictment, charged with one count of possession of a fraudulently obtained green card, attempt to procure naturalization contrary to law and attempt to procure naturalization to which he was not entitled, according to the release.
The indictment alleges Dragic failed to disclose his paramilitary police service for the Republika Srpska, a rogue state unrecognized by the international community that attempted to create an ethnically pure Serbian nation within the ethnically-mixed territory of the Yugoslav Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the news release detailed.
Dragic completed police training in Serbia in 1994 and returned to Bosnia, where he voluntarily joined a special police unit that joined in Republika Srpska’s army during military operations, according to the indictment.
Dragic failed to disclose his participation in the Srebrenica genocide, where he and his paramilitary police unit performed actions in the surrounding wilderness to prevent victims from escaping the massacre in July 1995, according to the indictment.
Dragic applied for refugee status in the U.S. in May 1998, claiming he was a victim of the Bosnian war. He continued serving with the Republika Srpska police until November 1998. He made numerous false statements on his refugee application, according to the indictment.
Members of the public who have information about foreign nationals suspected of engaging in human rights abuses or war crimes are urged to contact HIS by calling the toll-free tip line at 1-866-347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199.
