In addition to imposing the 51-month term, U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell ordered Garri Grigorian to pay the Russian government $17.42 million in restitution for unpaid taxes on the money that was transferred out of that country.

Grigorian, 43, who had pleaded guilty under a deal with prosecutors, said he was sorry for his actions.

"I came to the United States only to live and work here," he said through a translator. "I understand I broke the law, but I broke the law due to my lack of knowledge."

Federal prosecutors say Grigorian was the manager of Respect Intell LLC and G.I. Enterprise LLC, Utah companies that allegedly never participated in any actual commercial activity. According to the indictment in the case, he and accomplices funneled about $134 million out of Russia into Utah bank accounts from October 1998 through January 2001.

Under Russian regulations, it it illegal to transfer money out of the country or maintain a foreign bank account without having a permit from the Central Bank of Russia, according to the indictment.

The native Russian was working at a $6-an-hour job at a fast-food place during part of this time, then opened the Gourmet Choice deli in Salt Lake City. However, the picture of a struggling immigrant was a facade, prosecutor Jennifer Shasky said.

Grigorian received $1.3 million as his cut in the scheme, Shasky said. The money was used to buy a house and a car, to start the deli and to fund a Swiss bank account, she said.

"He's not some poor man who came from Russia to help his family," Shasky said.

But defense attorney Mark Kouris said Grigorian got the money through family members to invest in real estate, not through laundering activity.

pmanson@sltrib.com