Pavel Ivanovich Lazarenko

Pavel Ivanovich Lazarenko served as Prime Minister of Ukraine between May 1996 and July 1997. While serving as Prime Minister he illicitly enriched himself by awarding government contracts to private companies as a form of patronage. Lazarenko personally became involved in these companies by demanding control over 50% of the company and 50% of the profits.  Using offshore companies he was able to transfer his money into overseas bank accounts, including accounts in the United States. In February 1999, while seeking political asylum in the USA, the US government arrested him, and after the confession of partner-in-crime Peter Kiritchenko commenced criminal proceedings. The final tally of charges included 53 counts involving conspiracy, money laundering, wire fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property.  The amount of money involved ranges from USD 114-200 million. In a San Francisco court ruling on May 2004,  a jury found Pavel Lazarenko guilty on 29 counts, although later the presiding judge dropped 15 counts due to lack of compelling evidence.

Lazarenko was convicted on 14 counts of conducting financial transactions that involved the proceeds of extortion, wire fraud, and receipt and transfer of property that was stolen between 1994 and 1997, in Ukraine. In August 2006, he was sentenced to 9 years in jail and also fined USD 10 million. Lazarenko appealed on 18 October 2006, but 8 of the 14 counts were upheld in the ruling made on 9 June 2008 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He is currently serving his sentence in the United States.