WASHINGTON, D.C., November 13 (RAPSI) - The US Attorney General’s Office has indicted Russian businessman Vadim Mikerin on charges of accepting kickbacks over uranium deals between Russia and the US, RIA Novosti reports Thursday citing Vicky LeDuc, a spokesperson for the US Attorney District in Maryland.

According to the indictment obtained by RIA Novosti, Mikerin is being charged with conspiracy to damage financial activity by extortion.

The Attorney General’s Office documented over 20 cases of alleged kickbacks worth a total of $585,000. The prosecution claims that they were disguised as payments for consulting services and were transferred to front companies controlled by Mikerin.

Prosecutors had previously claimed that Mikerin had received $1.7 million in bribes for providing contracts worth almost $33 million.

Mikerin, the CEO of TENAM, was arrested last week in Washington D.C. TENAM is a subsidiary of the Russian TENEX, Rosatom’s international business unit.

The case materials attached to the indictment show that in 2013, some 475 metric tons of Russian highly-enriched uranium was imported to the US, sufficient for 19,000 nuclear warheads. Russian uranium is sold to the US as fuel for nuclear power plants. Up to 10% of the electric power in the US is generated with this uranium.