Former Russian Nuclear Energy Official Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

Greenbelt, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Vadim Mikerin, age 56, a Russian official residing in Chevy Chase, Maryland, today to four years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with his role in arranging over $2 million in corrupt payments to influence the awarding of contracts with the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation.  Judge Chuang also entered an order requiring Mikerin to forfeit $2,126,622.           

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division; John R. Hartman, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Energy; and Assistant Director in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Washington Field Office.

According to court documents, Mikerin was the director of the Pan American Department of JSC Techsnabexport (TENEX), a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation and the sole supplier and exporter of Russian Federation uranium and uranium enrichment services to nuclear power companies worldwide, and the president of TENAM Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary and the official representative of TENEX.  Court documents show that between 2004 and October 2014, conspirators agreed to make corrupt payments to influence Mikerin and to secure improper business advantages for U.S. companies that did business with TENEX, in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).  Mikerin admitted that he conspired with Daren Condrey, Boris Rubizhevsky and others to transmit approximately $2,126,622 from Maryland and elsewhere in the United States to offshore shell company bank accounts located in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland with the intent to promote the FCPA violations.  Mikerin further admitted that the conspirators used consulting agreements and code words to disguise the corrupt payments. 

Daren Condrey, 50, of Glenwood, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and conspiring to commit wire fraud.  Boris Rubizhevsky, 64, of Closter, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Both are awaiting sentencing.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the DOE-OIG and FBI for their work in the investigation.  Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys David I. Salem and Michael T. Packard, Special Assistant United States Attorney Meghan A. Leibold, and Trial Attorneys Christopher Cestaro, Ephraim Wernick, and Derek Ettinger of the U.S. Department of Justice Fraud Section, who prosecuted the case.