12 October 2004 LAWFUEL – Law, criminal law, legal, attorney, law firm newsMarcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Jesus Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Michael S. Clemens, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Lynne M. Underdown, Special Agent in Charge, Customs and Border Protection; Rear Admiral D. Brian Peterman, Commander – 7th Coast Guard District, United States Coast Guard; Michael Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Diplomatic Security Service, United States Department of State; and Christina Pharo, United States Marshal, United States Marshal’s Service, announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment on September 30, 2004, in Miami, Florida charging fourteen (14) defendants, Pavel Shkinder, Igor Shkinder, Gennadiy Korolkov, Yuri Zinchencko, Igor Nikolienko, Ruslan Mikhaylovich Danilevich, Tamara Onufrieva, Nina Krivenkaya, Sergy Vasiliev, Natalyia Venislavik, Peter Torakis, Oleksandr Koshovyy, Sergey Klimanov, and Ekaterina Yaman, with (1) one count of conspiring to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii), and Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; and eleven (11) substantive counts of alien smuggling for commercial advantage and private financial gain, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii). Nine (9) of the defendants, Pavel Shkinder, Igor Shkinder, Gennadiy Korolkov, Yuri Zinchencko, Igor Nikolienko, Ruslan Mikhaylovich Danilevich, Tamara Onufrieva, Nina Krivenkaya, and Ekaterina Yaman, also are charged with conspiring to money launder, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(2)(A).
If convicted on the alien smuggling conspiracy count, the defendants face a maximum statutory term of five (5) years in prison. If convicted on at least three (3) of the substantive alien smuggling counts, the defendants face a maximum statutory term of fifteen (15) years in prison. If convicted on the money laundering count, the nine (9) defendants charged in that count face a maximum statutory term of twenty (20) years in prison.
The Superseding Indictment alleges that the defendants smuggled for profit into the United States Ukrainians and other illegal aliens through the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, approximately six (6) sailing vessels were used to carry out the illegal activity. Three (3) of the defendants, Oleksandr Koshovyy, Sergey Klimanov, and Ekaterina Yaman, were charged in the original Indictment.
Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Protection, United States Coast Guard, Diplomatic Security Service, and United States Marshal’s Service and the cooperation of the governments of the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Richard D. Gregorie.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls