With 15 charges (out of 29) dropped, Lazarenko faces at least 10 years in jail

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - A federal judge in California dropped 15 charges against former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, according to various media reports. However, Mr. Lazarenko is still expected to receive a sentence of at least 10 years, a former prosecutor in the case said.

A jury convicted Mr. Lazarenko, 51, last year of laundering money through California banks and extortion, but U.S. District Court Judge Martin Jenkins ruled late on May 20 that there was not enough evidence to sustain convictions on 15 out of 29 counts against the former Ukrainian prime minister.

However, Martha Boersch, the former head of the U.S. Attorney's team prosecuting the case, said the judge's decision would not likely affect the amount of time Mr. Lazarenko spends in jail, the Reuters news service reported.

"The bottom line is that in the end it does not matter," Mrs. Boersch told Reuters. "It will be at least 10 years."

Eight of the remaining charges against Mr. Lazarenko are for money laundering, while the majority of the remaining charges are for interstate transportation of stolen property. Each of the money laundering charges carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

According to Reuters, the judge said a sentencing date would be determined on June 23. In the meantime, Mr. Lazarenko remains under house arrest at a San Francisco apartment, while his defense lawyers appeal the case.

U.S. Attorney Kevin V. Ryan told the Associated Press on May 20 that the ruling "validates the jury's convictions ... in connection with his efforts to conceal and invest ill-gotten gains through American financial institutions.

"Corrupt public officials, at home and abroad, whose activities violate the laws of the United States, are on notice that they can and will be zealously prosecuted and convicted here for such activities," the attorney said.

Mr. Lazarenko's attorney, Dan Horowitz, also was pleased with the ruling.

"Half the counts have been knocked out and we haven't even gotten to the Court of Appeal yet," Mr. Horowitz told the AP. "This is just another step toward victory. It's not over."

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 5, 2005, No. 23, Vol. LXXIII

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