NASA OIG: California Man Sentenced for Fraud Schemes

On June 3, 2003, Aleksandr Drabkin appeared in Federal District Court
in Los Angeles, California and was sentenced for his participation in
multiple schemes to defraud interstate companies located in California,
New Jersey, Colorado, and Massachusetts. After pleading guilty to
Conspiracy and Mail Fraud, Drabkin was sentenced to a prison term of
33 months, to be followed by a supervised release period of 3 years.

From April 2000 to December 2000, Drabkin and others participated in
schemes to defraud companies engaged in the manufacturing of precious
metal products. Drabkin impersonated employees of NASA and DOD
contractors to fraudulently take delivery of the precious metals.

Special Agents of the NASA Office of Inspector General, the Defense
Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigations,
and Detectives of the Pasadena and Bell Police Departments in
California conducted this investigation. Assistant United States
Attorneys Daniel A. Saunders, Central District of California, Los
Angeles, and Jean Kempthorne, District of Massachusetts, Boston,
handled the prosecution.

For more information on this release, please call Joe Kroener, Acting
Executive Officer, NASA Office of Inspector General at (202) 358-2558.

Previous Releases:
2002-035, 01/08/02, Remaining Three Suspects Arrested and Indicted for
Involvement in Nationwide Fraud Schemes.
2001-023, 01/05/01, 4 Individuals Arrested for Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud
2001-097, 09/17/01, California Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud