document count: 9

 

In the words of a federal prosecutor, the "field marshal" of the Croatian National Resistance, or "Odpor" or "Otpor" inside the United States, and ringleader of a conspiracy to extort, intimidate and murder scores of moderate Croat nationalists in the United States, including the head of the largest Croat-American organization, John Badovinac, and a Catholic priest who had condemned Odpor's terrorist bombings, Father Timothy Majic of Milwaukee, WI. Also charged with fifty counts of extortion of moderate Croats and recent immigrants to fund their "criminal enterprise." Hired two members of the Chicago mafia (aka "The Outfit"), Joe Neary (aka Joe Neri) and Louis Almeida (driver for the top mob enforcer in the 1970s, Harry Aleman) to kill Badovinac and intimidate the moderate leadership of the Croatian Fraternal Union. After failing to assassinate their target, Neary and Almeida were arrested in Ohio after a traffic stop; Almeida later turned state's evidence. Ljubas, along with Milan Bagaric, Mile Markich, Vinko Logarusic, Ranko Primorac and Drago Sudar were convicted for violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), the preeminent Organized Crime statues, on May 15, 1982 (with Ustase assassin Miro Baresic named an "unindicted co-racketeer.")

Still in prison as of 1999, when an organization in Croatia appealed to the United States to release Ljubas and his co-conspirators and repatriate them to Croatia. Ljubas is due for release in the Summer of 2004. [see also the Croatian National Resistance]

Otpor Bombing in California
June 23, 1980: Report from the US Secret Service on an retaliatory OTPOR bombing in California against two Croatian-owned businesses

FBI Tracing Report on the Murder Weapon Used to Kill Anthony Cikoja
September 28, 1981: Copy of the FBI tracing report on one of the two murders of Croatian immigrants in the United States which Odpor was convicted of carrying out

News: Canadian Among Croatian Group Charged with Violent Criminal Operation
February 19, 1982: UPI article laying out the prosecution's opening argument in the Second Otpor RICO Trial in New York City

10 Croatians on Trial on Racketeering Charges
1982: New York Times article on the Second Otpor RICO Trial in New York City

Otpor Bombing in New York
July 6. 1982: Report from the US Secret Service on two retaliatory OTPOR bombings in New York City, after the sentencing of the six terrorists convicted in the Second Otpor RICO Trial in New York

Judicial Decision: The Second Otpor RICO Trial in New York City
April 14, 1983: 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Summarizes the Case and Denies Appeal of Original Convictions under the RICO Act

Article: Protest Sent to The Hague
June 23, 1998: "The US Government was asked to drop the charges against Zvonko Busic and Ante Ljubas..."

More on Louis Almeida
March 21, 2000: Judicial Decision: State of IL vs. Aleman (Excerpt)

Article: Unofficial Diplomat
May 14, 2000: The Ustase Attacks on the Croatian Fraternal Union

 

Essay: The Poglavnik's Family Tree
Unraveling the Ustase Successor Organizations

Article: Where Are They Now? Odpor's Jailed Alumni
From Archive, the journal of the pavelic papers

 

- None.