Mt. Airy Man Sentenced To Four Years In Federal Prison

He was found guilty for paying bribes to a Russian official.

 

Baltimore, Md (KM) A US District Court Judge on Wednesday sentenced a Mount Airy man to four years in federal prison for paying bribes to a Russian official, along with wire fraud and other offenses. The judge also put Mark Lambert, 57, on three years of supervised release; and he was ordered to pay a $20,000. fine.

After a three-week trial, the US Attorney’s Office says Lambert,  who was president of Transport Logistics International, Inc., (TLI) took part in a scheme to bribe Vadim Mikern, an official at JSC Technabexport (TENEX), which is a subsidiary of Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, and the sole supplier and exporter of uranium and uranium enrichment services to nuclear plants across the world, including Russia. Lambert was working to secure contracts for TLI to transport nuclear materials to customers around the US and the world, and that included Russia.

The trial also brought out that over a seven-year period, Lambert and others made corrupt and fraudulent bribery and kickback payments to Mikerin through offshore bank accounts and shell companies, at Mikerin’s direction. They also used fake invoices to conceal bribe payments showing services  being rendered from TENNEX to TLI, services that were never provided. These payments were wired to shell company bank accounts in Latvia, Cyprus and Switzerland.

Lambert was told to report to federal prison on February 15th, 2021.

Federal officials say the other co-conspirators have pleaded guilty for their role in this scheme. Daren Condrey, 55 of Glenwood, Maryland, is awaiting sentencing. Vadim Mikerin, a Russian who resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, was sentenced to four years in federal prison. TLI entered into a deferred prosecution agreement in with the US Department of Justice in connection with the bribery scheme on March 12th, 2018.

 

 

By Kevin McManus