Former FBI agent in charge of New York’s counterintelligence division has been arrested in connection with a Russian oligarch accused of violating US sanctions
Charles McGonigal, 54, charged with violating U.S. sanctions, was previously in charge of New York’s counterintelligence division after law enforcement said he had ties to Russian tycoon Oleg Deripaska.
A former FBI official has been arrested for alleged ties to a Russian oligarch in violation of US sanctions.
Charles McGonigal, 54, was formerly a special agent in charge of counterintelligence in the New York field office.
He was arrested Saturday afternoon after arriving at JFK following a visit to Sri Lanka and retiring from the FBI in 2018.
Law enforcement agencies say he has ties to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian billionaire sanctioned by the United States and then charged with violations last year.
Charles McGonigal, 54, was previously a special agent in charge of counterintelligence in the New York field office.
The court interpreter, Sergei Shestakov, was also charged in the case. He worked with Deripaska.
McGonigal has been charged with violating US sanctions by trying to get Deripaska off the sanctions list.
He is one of the highest-ranking former FBI officials charged with crimes.
Both McGonigal and Shestakov are accused of receiving payments through shell companies and of forging signatures to keep Deripaska from paying them.
According to the Justice Department, the pair, who both worked for the FBI and investigated oligarchs, agreed to investigate rival oligarchs in exchange for payments from Deripaska.
Both men are facing charges of money laundering as well as sanctions violations – each of the four counts carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael Driscoll said in a statement: ‘The FBI is committed to enforcing economic sanctions designed to protect the United States and our allies, particularly against hostile activities by a foreign government and its actors.
‘Russian oligarchs such as Oleg Deripaska exert damaging influence on the Kremlin’s behalf worldwide and are linked to bribery, extortion and violence.
‘As charged, Mr McGonigal and Mr Shestakov, both US citizens, acted on behalf of Deripaska and fraudulently used a US entity to obscure their activities in breach of US sanctions.
‘Once sanctions are imposed, to be successful they must be applied equally against all US citizens. There are no exceptions for anyone, including a former FBI official like Mr. McGonigal.’
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