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East Ridge man pleads not guilty to passport fraud charges

A U.N. soldier and civilians seek protection behind a wall in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Dec. 18,1994 after a woman and a French U.N. soldier were wounded from Serb Bosnian sniper fire in the morning. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will most likely travel the same street if he visits Sarajevo as planned to convince the Bosnian Serbs to agree to a peace plan they have repeatedly rejected. (AP Photo/Rikard Larma) A U.N. soldier and civilians seek protection behind a wall in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Dec. 18,1994 after a woman and a French U.N. soldier were wounded from Serb Bosnian sniper fire in the morning. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter will most likely travel the same street if he visits Sarajevo as planned to convince the Bosnian Serbs to agree to a peace plan they have repeatedly rejected. (AP Photo/Rikard Larma)

By La Shawn Pagán June 28, 2023 2 min read

An East Ridge man who could face war crimes charges in connection with his alleged actions during the Bosnian War pleaded not guilty to three counts of passport fraud Tuesday, according to federal court documents.

Sead Miljković, who used the name Sead Dukic, from Bosnia-Herzegovina, entered his plea after being indicted on the three counts Tuesday by a federal grand jury.

“The indictment yesterday was fully expected, and there are no surprises contained within it,” Miljković’s attorneys, Janie Varnell and Bryan Hoss, told the Chattanooga Times Free Press via text Wednesday. “This case remains a fraudulent passport case. We anticipate proceeding, as all cases do, by exploring a resolution with the government.”

Miljković lived as Dukic in East Ridge for at least 24 years with his wife and daughter before he was arrested June 6.

According to the federal documents, Miljković attempted to enter the U.S. in 1996 and disclosed that he had served in the military in Bosnia-Herzegovina and was deployed to the front lines. His application to enter the U.S. was denied.

Miljković applied again in 1997, and the case was closed “due to abandonment,” the federal warrant said.

In 1999, Dukic gained entry, according to immigration records known as Alien Files or A-Files, the federal warrant said.

Tuesday’s indictment did not mention Miljković alleged involvement in the Bosnian war.

The Bosnian War was fought in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Broadly accepted independent estimates put the death toll at about 100,000. More than 2 million people were displaced during the conflict, Britannica said. The Bosnian War ended after a final cease-fire was negotiated at Dayton, Ohio.

Miljković was listed on Interpol’s red notice list, according to a federal warrant. A red notice, according to Interpol, is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action.

Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476.