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(Venice, Italy-AP) -- A suspect in last year's Olympic ice skating scandal is facing possible extradition.
Lawyers for the reputed Russian mobster (Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov) say an Italian court has ruled that he should be extradited to the U-S.
Lawyers say the court didn't give any deadline for extradition.
He's been held in a Venice jail since July on U-S charges that he helped secure a gold medal for Russia in the pairs competition in Salt Lake City -- in exchange for a victory for the French ice dancing team.
He denies the charges -- and his lawyers say they plan to appeal the court's decision.
Italian officials have said their investigation is based largely on phone conversations recorded during a wider investigation of organized crime.
Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov headshot, reputed Russian mobster arrested in Italy on conspiracy charges, photo
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
