Former Mongolian Prime Minister bought two luxury NYC apartments with embezzled mining money, prosecutors say

Federal prosecutors claim the former Mongolian Prime Minister used embezzled funds from mining contracts to purchase two luxury New York City apartments. 

The United States government is seeking forfeiture of two Manhattan apartments they said former Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold purchased for a total of $14 million in 2012 and 2015.

Batbold served as Mongolia's prime minister from 2009 to 2012 and is currently serving in the country's parliament. 

Prosecutors claimed the money used to buy the apartments came from a $68 million mining contract awarded to Hong Kong-registered Catrison Limited in 2011 to buy copper concentrates from the Erdenet copper mine in Mongolia.

'Millions of dollars from the mining contracts were then siphoned into foreign bank accounts, transferred through a series of shell companies, and, among other things, directed towards the purchase of the New York City apartments for the benefit of Batbold's family, including his eldest son who used the apartments,' said the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors claim the former Mongolian Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold (pictured) used embezzled funds from mining contracts to purchase two luxury New York City apartments

Prosecutors said shell companies controlled by a member of Catrison's board - which Batbold owner - bought an apartment (pictured) at the Park Imperial building on West 56th St. for $3.9 million in 2012

Batbold's son is also listed as a 'co-owner' of an apartment (pictured) in Carlton House on East 61st St., which was bought for $9.9 million in 2015

They claimed Batbold owned Catrison through trusted intermediaries and prior to being awarded that contract, the company had no operational history, no mining expertise, and no financial or logistical infrastructure to execute commodity sales. 

'As alleged in the complaint, Sukhbataar Batbold — the former prime minister of Mongolia — abused his position as prime minster to profit from the sale of his country's natural resources,' said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division.

'He and his family used the proceeds of their corrupt scheme to buy $14 million in high-end real estate in the United States.'

Prosecutors said shell companies controlled by a member of Catrison's board bought an apartment at the Park Imperial building on West 56th St. for $3.9 million in 2012. 

According to Zillow, the apartment is a two bedroom, two and a half bathroom residence with views of Central Park and the Hudson River.

It has a master bedroom with a walk-in closet and marble en-suite bathroom, herringbone hardwood floors throughout and in-unit washer and dryer. 

According to Zillow, the Park Imperial apartment (pictured) is a two bedroom, two and a half bathroom residence with views of Central Park and the Hudson River

The master bedroom at the Park Imperial (pictured) includes a walk-in closet and a marble en-suite bath with double vanity, glass enclosed shower stall and a soaking tub

According to Zillow, the Carlton House apartment (pictured) is a two bedroom, two and a half bathroom residence with views of Central Park and the Hudson River

Batbold's son used the West 56th St. apartment (pictured) as his mailing address when opening a U.S. bank account the following year

Batbold's son used the West 56th St. apartment as his mailing address when opening a U.S. bank account the following year, prosecutors claimed.

Batbold's son is also listed as a 'co-owner' of an apartment in Carlton House on East 61st St., which was bought by another company controlled by the Catrison board member for $9.9 million in 2015, according to prosecutors.

A listing on StreetEasy said the apartment has three bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms with white oak floors throughout and a Chef's kitchen.

Prosecutors also alleged that a shell company owned by Batbold that was awarded a $30 million mining contract wired money to an account in the United States held by Batbold's eldest son that was earmarked for personal use. 

'Mr. Batbold looks forward to his day in court, when he will have the opportunity to defend himself against these unfounded claims,' his lawyer, Orin Snyder, said to Reuters.