Serb Fugitive May Testify Against Diplos Who Helped Him Flee U.S.

BELGRADE, Serbia Sept. 27, 2010— -- A Serbian man who fled to his home country after beating a New York college student into a coma pleaded guilty today, and his lawyer left open the possibility that he could testify against Serb diplomats who helped him escape from the U.S.

"I am guilty," Miladin Kovacevic told Judge Ivana Ramic in a hearing today in a Belgrade court room. The hearing was scheduled for a time after Kovacevic passed an exam at the law school he is attending.

Kovacevic initially faced a possible eight years in jail, but under a deal, he will receive a two year sentence. He was charged with inflicting "severe bodily harm with possible deadly consequences." Two additional charges will be dismissed.

Kovacevic's lawyer Borivoje Borovic did not rule out that Kovacevic could testify against Serb diplomats who have been charged with abusing their positions when they hastily issued travel documents to Kovacevic after the assault.

"What is important is that Miladin Kovacevic will not be charged with obtaining fake passport and influencing the abuse of power, nor he will testify against indicted Serb diplomats," Borovic told ABCNews.com. "That is not a part of plea bargain deal. However, if he wants to he can testify if the court approaches him."

Two former Serbian diplomats, Slobodan Nenadovic and Igor Milosevic, pleaded not guilty on Sept. 16 to charges of abusing their positions. They are scheduled to go on trial Oct. 18.

Bozo Prelevic, executive director of the League of Experts, thinks that the court must resolve a core problem that Kovacevic fled the U.S. with the clearance of Serb government officials.

"The court has to determine who is to blame for allowing the escape of Kovacevic to happen," Prelevic said. "Only then will Serbia be a country whose judicial system will be respected and well regarded by the U.S."

Deputy Prosecutor Sasa Boskovic said during today's hearing, "The punishment for Kovacevic was in line with the sentences that U.S. courts have given to the other two participants in the brawl." Edin Dzubar, of Johnson City, and Sanel Softic, of Binghamton, have both had pleaded guilty to assault and were sentenced to two years in prison.

Kovacevic was accused of beating then 21-year-old Bryan Steinhauer into a coma outside a bar at Binghamton University, the school both attended in 2008.

Kovacevic had been a player on the school basketball team. After making bail shortly after the beating, Kovacevic fled to Serbia with the assistance of New York based Serbian diplomats. The Serbian government eventually paid $900,000 to the Steinhauer family, but the prosecution of Kovacevic continued with heavy pressure coming from the U.S. government and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Steinhauer spent months in a coma and had to relearn how to speak and walk. In 2009 when he was released from the hospital after intensive surgery and therapy, Steinhauer said he does not hate Kovacevic.

"I am not full of hate. Hatred kills progress," he said.

Appearing alongside his parents and doctors at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Steinhauer struggled to speak, but his message was clear.

"Please don't feel sorry for me. Tragedy leads to wisdom and this experience has taught me so much about life," he said.