Former Russian Government Official Sentenced For Nuclear Energy Conspiracy Involving FCPA Violations

Russia Bribery

On December 15, a former Russian government official, Vadim Mikerin, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with $2 million in bribe payments he accepted to award government contracts with a Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation.  U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang of the District of Maryland also ordered Mikerin, who resides in Maryland, to forfeit $2.1 million.  Between 2004 and October 2014, Mikerin received bribe payments intended to improperly influence him in his role as a key official at a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation and to secure improper business advantages for U.S. companies that did business with the subsidiary.  Mikerin admitted that, in connection with the FCPA violations, he conspired with others to transmit approximately $2,126,622 from the United States to shell company bank accounts in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland.  Mikerin also admitted to using consulting agreements and code words to conceal the bribes.  Two of Mikerin’s co-conspirators – Daren Condrey and Boris Rubizhevsky – also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and are awaiting sentencing.