Ex-Deputy Chief of Russia’s Voentorg to Remain in US Custody Until Trial - Court

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The former deputy director of Russian military contractor Voentorg, Leonid Teyf, will remain in US custody until trial in the criminal case on laundering $150 million, a court filing said.

"The Court held a detention hearing and found that detention is warranted," the document said on Monday. The reasons for detention include serious evidence against the defendant and the lengthy sentence he may face, according to the filing.

Another defendant in the case, Alexei Polyakov, declined to ask for release and also will remain in custody until the beginning of the trial, while Teyf's wife Tatiana has been released on bail, the document said.

Teyf was arrested on December 6 and is detained in a North Carolina prison.

Prosecutors allege that Teyf and his wife began running the scheme in 2010, when then-Defense Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov granted Voentorg a contract to provide Russian military with goods and services, according to an indictment that was unsealed earlier this week.

READ MORE: US DoJ Reveals Names of Russians Recently Arrested on Money Laundering Charges

Teyf is also facing charges on dozens of other alleged crimes, including bribery and a murder-for-hire plot, immigration fraud and visa fraud, among other crimes. He is facing up to 20 years in US prison.