A Russian immigrant to Israel with alleged ties to organized crime reached a plea bargain on fraud and bribery charges against him. Gregory Lerner, who previously maintained his innocence, agreed to plead guilty to some of the 14 charges, which are linked to his alleged attempts to establish a Russian- Israeli bank that authorities feared would be used to launder money. Under the terms of the deal, which an Israeli court is expected to rule on next month, Lerner would serve a jail term of six years and pay a fine of $5 million.
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