“”
Alexandria, VA – A West Virginia woman who was a naturalized U.S. citizen from Bosnia and Herzegovina was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for naturalization fraud based on lies about her prior criminal conduct to obtain U.S. citizenship.
Amira Medunjanin, 51, of Lexington, Kentucky, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington.
The defendant, who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2015. However, the indictment alleges that Medunjanin falsely claimed she had never been a member of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH), a military organization that committed atrocities and war crimes during the Bosnian War. The indictment also alleges that Medunjanin lied about being convicted of torture and other crimes by a Bosnian court in 1996.
Medunjanin was charged with one count of procuring citizenship by falsely claiming under oath that she had never been a member of the ARBiH or been convicted of torture or other crimes. She pleaded guilty to the charge in September 2023.
The defendant’s naturalization was revoked in 2023 after an investigation by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) discovered that she had lied about her past. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.
The sentence was handed down on December 20, 2023. In addition to the 30-month prison term, Medunjanin was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.
A U.S. citizen who has been convicted of serious crimes in another country and then naturalized in the United States can have their citizenship revoked if it is found that they committed perjury or failed to disclose their criminal history.
“”
Related Federal Cases
- Teferi Mekonnen, U.S. Citizenship Fraud, New York 2024 · New York
- Ronald Coburn, Healthcare Fraud and Tax Evasion, Lexington KY, 2023 · Illinois
- 23andMe, Data Auction Without Consent, New York NY, 2023 · New York
- 23andMe, Selling Genetic Data Without Consent, New York, 2023 · New York
- Paula Butterfield Pleads Guilty to Medicare and Medicaid Fraud, Cha… · Illinois
Key Facts
- State: Kentucky
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source â†â€â€ÂÂÂ
ðŸâ€ÂÂÂÂ’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
All Kentucky Cases →All Districts →
