Former Ukrainian PM found guilty of money laundering
On August 25, former Ukrainian prime minister Pavel Lazarenko, 53, was sentenced to 9 years imprisonment for 1 count of conspiracy to launder money, 7 counts of money laundering, 5 counts of wire fraud and 1 count of interstate transportation of stolen property. Also, he was obliged to pay 10 million USD for extorting over 40 million USD from Ukranian citizens and laundering over 20 million USD through American banks.
Lazarenko was a prime minister in Ukraine, which is the second-highest position there, in 1996 and 1997. He was arrested in 1999 when having arrived in the USA. So, the sentence dotted the “i†in a 6-year investigation led by FBI and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation agents.
This is the second sentence in the United States court given to a former leader from another country.
By the way, Lazarenko was the one to buy the house that once belonged to actor Eddie Murphy.