Russian Nuclear Energy Official Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering

A Russian official living in Chevy Chase has pleaded guilty to a federal charge for arranging $2.1 million to influence the awarding of contracts with the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation, prosecutors say.

Vadim Mikerin, 56, of Chevy Chase, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8.

According to court documents, Mikerin was the president of TENAM Corporation and a director of the Moscow-based TENEX, which acts as the sole supplier and exporter of Russian Federation uranium and uranium enrichment services to nuclear power companies worldwide. TENAM, based in Bethesda, is a subsidiary and the official representative of TENEX in the United States. TENEX is a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation.

According to court documents, between 2004 and October 2014, Mikerin conspired with Daren Condrey, 50, of Glenwood, MD, Boris Rubizhevsky, 64, of Closter, NJ and others. The men would transmit money from Maryland and elsewhere in the United States to offshore shell company bank accounts located in Cyprus, Latvia and Switzerland. Mikerin admitted the corrupt payments were made by conspirators to influence Mikerin and to secure improper business advantages for U.S. companies that did business with TENEX.

Mikerin conspired with Condrey, Rubizhevsky and others to transfer about $2.1 million from the United States to offshore shell company bank accounts. As part of his plea agreement, Mikerin has agreed to forfeit that money.

Both Condrey and Rubizhevsky pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud and money laundering charges; they will be sentenced later this year.