Jun 27 2011
At about 1:20 a.m. on May 4, 2008, a bar fight at a Binghamton University hang-out started what has become an international incident. Here's the story and latest developments.
The Fight
Calling it a "fight" doesn't do this incident justice. The primary combatants were
Miladin Kovacevic, a 6'9", 260-pound power forward for the Binghamton basketball team... and Bryan Steinhauer, an honor student about a foot shorter and 100 pounds lighter. The ensuing beat-down left Steinhauer in a coma and Kovacevic in Broome County jail, facing felony assault charges.
A Serbian national and obvious flight risk, Kovacevic was forced to surrender his passport as part of his bail agreement. But a diplomat helped get a new passport issued, and less than 72 hours later, Kovacevic was on a flight home.
In the weeks and months that followed, several high-ranking politicians -- including New York's senior senator, Chuck Schumer -- called for Kovacevic's extradition to the United States to face a trial, while Steinhauer continued the long and painful rehabilitation process. But Serbian officials refused, saying their constitution does not allow extradition for any reason.
In September 2010, Kovacevic reached a deal with Serbian prosecutors, pleading guilty and agreeing to serve 27 months in prison -- a sentence that Schumer, among others -- decry as far too lenient.
Latest Developments
Kovacevic Sentenced; Steinhauer Gets a Fresh StartNovember 2, 2010
Kovacevic was formally sentenced yesterday to a 27-month prison term. Meanwhile, his victim has made impressive strides in his recovery; Bryan Steinhauer passed the most difficult portion of the CPA exam and will begin work at a top New York accounting firm.
Kovacevic Cops a PleaSeptember 15, 2010
Kovacevic pleads guilty and agrees to serve 27 months in prison, a sentence that critics like Senator Chuck Schumer say does not fit his crime.
$1 million pay-off for Steinhauer
February 25, 2009
Serbian officials continue to refuse to extradite Kovacevic to face trial in the United States, but they have reportedly agreed to pay one million dollars to his victim.
Kovacevic Facing Jail Time in Serbia
March 5, 2010
Kovacevic has been formally charged in a Serbian court, and faces up to ten years in prison if convicted.
$1 million pay-off for Steinhauer
February 25, 2009
Serbian officials continue to refuse to extradite Kovacevic to face trial in the United States, but they have reportedly agreed to pay one million dollars to his victim.
Steinhauer Can't Remember the Attack
January 28, 2009
Bryan Steinhauer has no memory of the attack that left him in a coma last Spring, according to Binghamton, NY police. That isn't expected to hamper the prosecution of the alleged aggressors -- though the fact that Serbian authorities refuse to extradite Miladin Kovacevic makes a trial unlikely at this point.
Kovacevic Arrested
October 28, 2008
Five months after his attack on Bryan Steinhauer, Miladin Kovacevic was arrested in Serbia on suspicion that he "inflicted severe bodily harm" on his Binghamton University classmate.
Serb Government Gets First Look at Kovacevic File
October 15, 2008
U.S. officials have given Serbian authorities copies of documents from the case against fugitive Binghamton University basketball player Miladin Kovacevic, the New York Daily News reports. This is the first time American authorities have formally shared documents with their Serb counterparts.
Kovacevic Faces a Judge
September 19, 2008
Kovacevic testifies at a hearing investigating the actions of Igor Milocevic, the embassy official who provided the passport that allowed Kovacevic's return to Serbia, but is no closer to facing a trial for his own actions.
Now He Wants a Fair Fight?
August 23, 2008
Kovacevic continues to refuse to return to the United States for trial, but is willing to be tried in his homeland.
Kovacevic is All Smiles
August 20, 2008
The New York Daily News published pictures of a smiling Kovacevic, working out with his new Serbian team -- without the slightest hint of remorse or worry that he might face extradition to the United States. Meanwhile, more than three months after the attack, Bryan Steinhauer remains comatose.
Schumer Asks Feds to Withhold Foreign Aid to Serbia
August 4, 2008
Senator Chuck Schumer is asking the Federal Government to withhold as much as $50 million in foreign aid to Serbia unless Kovacevic is returned to stand trial.
Ultimatums - Consequences = Hot Air
August 2, 2008
The State Department's deadline for the return of Kovacevic has come and gone, with no action from Serbian authorities.
Ultimatum Issued in Kovacevic Case
July 24, 2008
State Department officials issue an ultimatum demanding that Kovacevic be returned to the United States by August 1. New York senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton reportedly warn Serbia's top embassy official of "significant consequences for Serbia if this matter was not resolved."
New York Daily News: Serb Thug Signs Basketball Contract
July 15, 2008
It seems clear that Miladin Kovacevic isn't planning to return to the United States any time soon; he's signed a contract to play basketball for a semi-pro team in a regional Serbian league.
Ripped from the Headlines
June 28, 2008
In a story tailor-made for the next season of Law & Order, a college basketball player from Binghamton University beats a classmate within an inch of his life in a bar fight, then escapes to his native Serbia with the help of a crooked embassy official.
