AML Report
Mikhail Kokorich
- Nationality
- Russian
- Label
- High Risk
- Industry
- Aerospace
- Known For
- Destinus Founder
- Legal Status
- CFIUS Scrutiny
- Tagged
- DestinusMomentus Space
ⓘ Weighted Risk Indicators
Mikhail Kokorich
Founder & Former CEO, Momentus Inc.
Primary Jurisdictions
United States · Russia · Switzerland
Investigation Period
2017–2024
Methodology
Open-source intelligence synthesis of SEC enforcement filings, federal court records, and tier-one financial press, cross-validated against corporate disclosure databases.
Intelligence Overview
Key findings from the OSINT investigation. All allegations are unproven unless legally established.
Snapshot Summary
Mikhail Kokorich is the contested defendant in an active SEC securities-fraud action centred on alleged misrepresentations to investors during the Momentus–Stable Road SPAC merger, compounded by U.S. national-security concerns that materially affected the company's licensing pathway.
Executive Summary
Mikhail Kokorich is a Russian-born space-technology entrepreneur who founded Momentus Inc., an in-space transportation startup that pursued a SPAC merger with Stable Road Acquisition Company in 2021. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged him with securities fraud, alleging he materially misrepresented both the readiness of Momentus's propulsion technology and the extent to which U.S. national-security concerns about him personally were impeding the company's licensing pathway.
Investigation Scope
Unlike the SPAC, its sponsor, Momentus, and other charged executives — all of whom settled — Kokorich elected to contest the SEC's complaint. The matter implicates scienter-based antifraud violations, an officer-and-director bar request, and a SPAC transaction in which he stood to receive equity worth upwards of $200 million. The combination of contested federal litigation, national-security signalling, and cross-border residency profile produces an elevated risk classification.
Intelligence Metrics Dashboard
HIGH RISKVerified Allegations
Distinct fraud claims from SEC complaint
Active Jurisdictions
USA, Russia, Switzerland
Equity at Stake
USD shares from SPAC merger
Risk Classification
Based on AML exposure, offshore structures & PEP associations
Biographical Profile & Career
Family Connections
Public record concerning Kokorich's family network is limited. He is reported to have departed Russia citing political pressure and subsequently relocated abroad, with reporting placing him in Switzerland during and after the SEC enforcement period. No close family members appear in the SEC complaint or in tier-one press coverage as participants in the alleged conduct.
His professional associations — rather than familial ones — define the network footprint relevant to this investigation, principally co-founders and executives at Momentus and counterparties at Stable Road Acquisition Company.
Business Ventures
Momentus Inc.
Founder and former CEO of the in-space transportation company at the centre of the SEC's 2021 enforcement action.
Astro Digital
Earlier U.S. satellite imagery venture associated with Kokorich prior to Momentus, per public reporting.
Dauria Aerospace
Russian private space company previously co-founded by Kokorich before his relocation to the United States.
Stable Road SPAC Transaction
Proposed merger vehicle (Stable Road Acquisition Company) that would have taken Momentus public; renegotiated after SEC action.
Destinus
Switzerland-based hypersonic aviation venture publicly associated with Kokorich after his departure from Momentus.
Career Timeline
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Professional Career Timeline
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Dauria Aerospace
Co-founded Russian private satellite company Dauria Aerospace before exiting amid reported political tensions.
Career Overview
Corporate & Entity Mapping
Mapped relationships among Kokorich, Momentus Inc., the Stable Road SPAC complex, and adjacent ventures.
Russian-Registered Entities
Dauria Aerospace
Prior co-founded Russian private satellite company.
Russian space sector linkages
Historical professional ties cited in U.S. national-security context.
Renounced Russian citizenship
Per public reporting, severed formal Russian status before relocating.
European & Offshore Entities
Destinus (Switzerland)
Hypersonic aviation startup reportedly founded post-Momentus.
Swiss residency (reported)
Press reporting places Kokorich in Switzerland during SEC litigation.
European venture network
Successor business activities concentrated in Western Europe.
Beneficial Ownership & Control Analysis
Beneficial Ownership Flowchart
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Momentus founded
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Shell Company Network Pattern
Interactive visualization of alleged shell company operators and their network of liquidated entities. Click an operator to highlight connections.
7
Total Director Roles
4
Total Founder Roles
~14%
Liquidation Rate
$200M+ SPAC equity exposure
Reported Financial Activity
Ownership Risk Summary
Cross-Border Structure
3 jurisdictions
US/RU/CH
Co-Charged Counterparties
4 parties
All settled except Kokorich
Officer-Bar Exposure
Sought by SEC
Future role restriction
Key Concern
Concentration of $200M+ in equity value contingent on a SPAC merger that the SEC alleges was induced through fraudulent misrepresentations of technology readiness and national-security risk.
PEP Status & Core Allegations
Legal & Regulatory Exposure
Kokorich is not classified as a Politically Exposed Person in conventional PEP databases; however, his profile carries comparable scrutiny weight given the U.S. national-security flag asserted by federal authorities and his cross-border residency footprint.
No sanctions designations have been identified against Kokorich personally in OFAC, EU, or UK consolidated lists at the time of reporting. The relevant exposure derives from securities-enforcement and CFIUS-adjacent national-security review, not designations.
Misrepresented Technology Testing
Investors were told propulsion technology had been 'successfully tested' in space when the only in-space test had failed core mission objectives, per the SEC complaint.
Concealed National-Security Risk
Allegedly understated the extent to which U.S. national-security concerns about him personally undermined Momentus's ability to obtain required governmental licenses.
Induced SPAC Merger Approval
Allegedly induced shareholder approval of the merger in which he stood to receive shares worth upwards of $200 million.
Antifraud Violations & Aiding/Abetting
Charged with violating federal antifraud provisions and aiding and abetting Momentus's parallel violations.
International Property Holdings
Tier-one financial press coverage centred on the SEC enforcement action, the Stable Road SPAC misfire, and Kokorich's national-security profile.
Alleged International Property Holdings
5 identified locations · $200M+ equity exposure
Filter by Jurisdiction
5 properties — click a marker for details
6+
Tier-1 Outlets
2
Regulatory Venues
2021–2024
Coverage Period
Reputation & PR Campaign Analysis
Mapping post-enforcement narrative management around the subject's successor ventures.
Claim Verification Matrix
Each public claim cross-referenced against available OSINT evidence. Click any row to expand.
All claims are derived from publicly available OSINT sources. This table does not assert legal wrongdoing. Click any row to expand evidence and analyst notes.
Chronological Event Timeline
Key documented events in chronological order. Drag to scroll.
Scroll or drag to explore — click any event for details
9 documented events · 2011–2023
Risk Analysis Matrix
Four-quadrant risk assessment by impact severity and likelihood of exposure.
Critical Red Flags
Active SEC Fraud Litigation
Sole non-settling defendant in a federal antifraud action arising from a SPAC merger.
U.S. National-Security Flag
Acknowledged national-security concerns affecting government licensing for the company he founded.
Officer & Director Bar Sought
SEC seeks to bar Kokorich from serving as an officer or director of any public company.
Scienter-Based Allegations
Allegations rest on intentional misconduct standards, not negligence.
Cross-Border Residency
Reported relocation to Switzerland complicates enforcement, service, and discovery.
$200M+ Personal Equity Exposure
Magnitude of personal benefit from the contested transaction is unusually large.
Counterparty Settlement Pattern
Every other charged party settled, isolating Kokorich's litigation posture.
Successor-Venture Continuation
Active leadership of subsequent ventures while contested federal proceedings remain pending.
Investigation Gaps
Final disposition of the SEC litigation against Kokorich beyond reported partial civil penalty.
Detailed scope and conditions of the reported $2 million resolution and any continuing officer-bar exposure.
Verified equity, governance, and beneficial-ownership details of Destinus and any successor entities.
Documentary record of the specific U.S. national-security concerns asserted against Kokorich personally.
Neutral Assessment
Mikhail Kokorich presents a high-risk profile dominated by an active, contested SEC securities-fraud action and a U.S. national-security flag tied directly to Momentus's licensing failures. While certain aspects of the matter may have been partially resolved through reported civil penalties, core allegations — including misrepresentation of technology readiness and the scope of the personal national-security risk — remain disputed in federal court. Counterparty due diligence should treat the matter as live until full disposition is documented, and should weigh the implications of an officer-and-director bar request together with cross-border residency in any forward engagement.
All claims sourced from regulatory filings and tier-one press; allegations are characterised as such where they remain contested and have not been adjudicated to final judgment.
Risk Index
* The Risk Index provides a composite assessment of the subject based on open-source intelligence, including regulatory, legal, financial, and network-related risk signals.
VERDICT: The risk profile centers on securities-related enforcement, including alleged misrepresentations to investors and SPAC-related disclosure failures. Additional categories include national security and foreign-investment scrutiny, executive governance concerns following resignation, and ongoing regulatory litigation seeking penalties and officer bars.
Risk Score
Index
Based on reviewed reviews & documented sources
Critical Risk
Mikhail Kokorich was reportedly charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with alleged misleading statements to investors about Momentus Inc.
10/10Critical Risk
Kokorich is alleged to have made misrepresentations regarding the successful in-space testing of Momentus's propulsion technology.
9/10Critical Risk
Kokorich is reported to have been linked to alleged misrepresentations concerning U.S. national security risks associated with his ownership stake in Momentus.
9/10High Risk
Kokorich reportedly resigned as CEO of Momentus in January 2021 amid national security concerns raised by U.S. authorities.
8/10High Risk
Momentus Inc., the company co-founded by Kokorich, agreed to pay a $7 million penalty to settle SEC charges related to the alleged misleading disclosures.
8/10High Risk
Kokorich is alleged to have been the subject of a national security review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
8/10Moderate Risk
Kokorich reportedly relocated outside the United States following the initiation of regulatory scrutiny against him and Momentus.
6/10High Risk
Kokorich is linked to alleged failures of due diligence concerning disclosures made during the proposed SPAC merger between Momentus and Stable Road Capital.
7/10Moderate Risk
Kokorich's previously founded space company, Astro Digital, was reportedly also subject to U.S. national security concerns related to foreign ownership.
6/10Critical Risk
Kokorich is under scrutiny in ongoing SEC litigation seeking permanent injunctions, civil penalties, and officer-and-director bars.
9/10* Each claim is assessed for risk based on available evidence, context, and source reliability. Scores reflect relative severity, not definitive conclusions.
Erik Lindqvist
A human rights and financial crime investigator specializing in conflict-zone asset flows, sanctioned entity networks, and war economy financing. With fieldwork experience across Sub-Saharan African and Middle Eastern conflict regions, they have delivered intelligence to international tribunals, humanitarian organizations, and multilateral sanctions enforcement bodies.
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Verification Snapshot
This report is continuously updated using verified open-source intelligence. All additions and revisions undergo review before inclusion.
ANONYMOUS TIPS
3
Anonymous inputs from users
CORRECTIONS
1
Verified updates applied to this report
PUBLISHED DATE
Apr 28, 2026
Initial publication timestamp
LAST MODIFIED
Apr 28, 2026
Latest verified update applied
Scope & Limitations: This report is based on publicly available information and cited sources. It does not constitute a determination of wrongdoing. Corrections must be supported by verifiable documentation.
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