Missouri Man Sentenced for Providing Material Support to Terrorists

WASHINGTON – Ramiz Zijad Hodzic, aka Siki Ramiz Hodzic, 45, of St. Louis County, Missouri, was sentenced to 96 months in prison for conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and providing material support to terrorists.  Hodzic appeared today before Judge Catherine D. Perry.  

According to court documents, between May 2013 and continuing to Feb. 5, 2015, Ramiz Zijad Hodzic conspired with others to support the activities of Abdullah Ramo Pazara and others, including a conspiracy to commit outside the United States an act that would constitute the offense of murder or maiming if committed in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.  Hodzic intended to and did provide support and resources to Pazara, knowing that he and his co-conspirators would use the support and resources in furtherance of their combat against Syrian government forces and others.  Hodzic’s support consisted of money, which was used by his co-conspirators to purchase supplies such as U.S. military uniforms, rifle scopes, combat boots, tactical gear, clothing, firearms accessories, range finders, and other supplies useful to fighters engaged in combat in Syria and elsewhere.

“In addition to eight years in federal prison, Ramiz Hodzic will also be deported," said Special Agent in Charge Richard Quinn of the FBI St. Louis Division. "Hodzic was the mastermind and primary facilitator of this conspiracy to fund and support terrorists."

Co-defendant Sedina Unkic Hodzic is awaiting sentencing; Nihad Rosic is awaiting trial; Jasminka Ramic, Mediha Medy Salkicevic, and Armin Harcevic were sentenced to 36, 78, and 60 months in prison, respectively.

The St. Louis FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Postal Inspection Service, St. Louis Metropolitan and St. Louis County Police Departments investigated this case.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Drake, Howard Marcus and Kenneth Tihen of the Eastern District of Missouri and Trial Attorneys Joshua Champagne, Danielle Rosborough, and David Smith of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.