A grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Divna Maslenjak, 50, with naturalization fraud and misuse of evidence of naturalization, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that Maslenjak, while a citizen of Bosnia Herzegovina, made material false statements in her application and interview for naturalization by failing to acknowledge she had lied to government officials when applying for her refugee status.
The indictment further alleges that Maslenjak used her unlawfully obtained naturalization as a basis for assisting her husband in securing his lawful permanent resident status based upon their marriage.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phillip J. Tripi and Margaret Sweeney, following investigation by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
