Daughter: Woman falsely accused of helping terrorist groups

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) - The daughter of an Illinois woman who is one of six Bosnian immigrants accused of supporting extremist groups said her mother has been falsely accused.

Sejla Ramic said her mother, 42-year-old Jasminka Ramic, doesn't stand with terrorism and would never send money to a terrorist organization. Sejla Ramic said whoever assumed her mother would do so is mistaken.

"This is a false accusation," Sejla Ramic told WREX-TV (http://bit.ly/1DVoaxR ). "When we heard the news, we were so shocked at how someone could say such things."

Jasminka Ramic and the other suspects are accused of sending money and military equipment to the Islamic State group and Nusra Front, an al-Qaida-affiliated rebel group.

An indictment unsealed Friday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis alleges that they plotted by phone, Facebook and email; shared videos and photos related to their plans on social media sites; sent money via PayPal and Western Union; and shipped boxes of military gear through the U.S. Postal Service.

The defendants are accused of donating money themselves and, in some cases, collecting funds from others in the U.S. and sending the donations overseas. All are charged with conspiring to provide and providing material support to groups designated by the U.S. as foreign terrorist organizations.

Along with Ramic, who lives in Rockford, the indictment names Mediha Medy Salkicevic, 34, of Schiller Park, Illinois; Nihad Rosic, 26, of Utica, New York; Armin Harcevic, 37, of St. Louis County, Missouri; and Ramiz Zijad Hodzic, 40, and his wife, Sedina Unkic Hodzic, 35, also of St. Louis County. Online court records do not list defense attorneys for any of the defendants.

WREX-TV reports the Ramics were in Germany and unaware of the indictment until a reporter contacted them. It's unclear if Jasminka Ramic has been arrested or has a lawyer.

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Information from: WREX-TV.