Woman pleads guilty in St. Louis terrorist funding case

ST. LOUIS �� A woman formerly from Illinois Monday pleaded guilty to a federal charge supported a conspiracy that backed foreign terrorist fighters.tmpplchld The conspiracy charge to which Jasminka Ramic, 43, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis carries a potential prison term of up to five years.tmpplchld Ramic was arrested in February. She and five others were accused of raising money here and using that money and their own to fund and provide military equipment to terrorist fighters overseas. Those fighters included the Islamic State group and al-Qaida in Iraq.tmpplchld Ramic was born in Bosnia and entered the U.S. in 2000. She lived in Rockford, Ill., and became a U.S. citizen in 2006, court documents show. She later moved to Germany, where her family lives, in November 2014. She was arrested there and waived extradition to return to face the charges.tmpplchld In Monday’s hearing, Ramic admitted learning in July 2013 that a former countryman, Abdullah Ramo Pazara, had left St. Louis and was in Syria fighting with the -Nusra Front.tmpplchld Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake said Pazara also claimed an affiliation with the Islamic State.tmpplchld Ramic emailed Pazara and offered to provide him support, and also offered help for women and children displaced by fighting, according to court testimony.tmpplchld Pazara had Ramic contact Ramiz Hodzic, a St. Louis County resident, who was already providing boots, military uniforms and other gear, Drake said.tmpplchld Prosecutors say the alleged conspirators used coded language on Facebook, in email messages and in phone calls to coordinate, rally support and update each other about the status of overseas fighters, including Pazara.tmpplchld Ramic provided a total of $700 on three occasions in 2013. Some of the money was used by Hodzic and his wife, Sedina Hodzic, to buy supplies including a U.S. military jacket, combat boots and a rifle scope, charging documents say. Ramic also sent first aid supplies and hot chocolate.tmpplchld U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry asked Ramic whether she knew that the groups would use the money for anything they wanted.tmpplchld “I saw the future, yes,” Ramic replied.tmpplchld Drake stressed that Ramic did not agree to provide money to Pazara “to kill someone,” but knew what was happening in Syria.tmpplchld The Hodzics and the three others charged in the case have pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers are working through thousands of pages of documents produced in the case.tmpplchld Sedina Hodzic’s lawyer, Paul D’Agrosa, declined to comment. Ramiz Hodzic’s lawyer, Diane Dragan, wrote in an email that Hodzic has no intention to plead guilty “as charged” and that prosecutors had extended no plea offers.tmpplchld ___tmpplchld (c)2015 St. Louis Post-Dispatchtmpplchld Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.comtmpplchld Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.tmpplchld