Bosnian pleads guilty in beating of upstate NY college student that sparked diplomatic crisis

Man pleads guilty in assault of NY college student

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — A Bosnian man accused in the near-fatal beating of a Binghamton University student has pleaded guilty in New York to felony assault.

Sanel Softic (SAH’-nel SAHF’-teech) is one of three men charged in the May 2008 attack on 23-year-old Bryan Steinhauer in a Binghamton bar. Steinhauer was in a coma for several months afterward.

The case touched off a diplomatic crisis when another co-defendant, Miladin Kovacevic (koh-VAH’-cheh-vich), fled to his native Serbia after a Serbian diplomat paid his $100,000 bail. The former university basketball player will be tried on assault charges there.

Twenty-two-year-old Softic pleaded guilty Tuesday in Binghamton. He’ll be sentenced in January to two years in state prison.

Also facing charges is Edin Dzubur (EH’-deen JOO’-boor), a Bosnian who lives in Johnson City.