On 2nd Anniversary of Ukraine Invasion U.S. Targets Russian Oligarchs
Task Force KleptoCapture Action Before 2nd An. Ukraine Invasion
On Thursday before second anniversary of Ukraine Invasion , US officials revealed an extensive array of legal actions targeting Russian oligarchs and their associates. This move by the Biden administration is part of a broader strategy to escalate financial pressure on President Vladimir Putin in response to his Ukraine Invasion.
Task Force KleptoCapture Action Before 2nd An. Ukraine Invasion
Officials from the Justice Department revealed the arrest of two individuals identified as “facilitators” of a sanctioned Russian oligarch. Additionally, they initiated proceedings to confiscate two upscale condominiums in Miami owned by another Russian oligarch who is already subject to US sanctions. Furthermore, the Justice Department filed a distinct indictment against an official implicated in an alleged plot to manage a luxurious yacht belonging to a sanctioned Russian oligarch. Alongside, they emphasized a guilty plea linked to money laundering activities benefiting other sanctioned Russian entities.
DOJ’s KleptoCapture task force goes after Oligarch coz of Ukraine Invasion
In the Southern District of New York, the Department unsealed charges against three people, including sanctioned oligarch Andrey Kostin and two of his U.S.-based facilitators. The facilitators, Vadim Wolfson, aka Vadim Belyaev and Gannon Bond, were arrested today.
In the Middle District of Florida, a grand jury returned an indictment charging Sergey Vitalievich Kurchenko, a sanctioned pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch, in a years-long scheme to violate and evade U.S. sanctions by receiving funds from and doing approximately $330 million in business with U.S. persons.
In the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta-based dual national Feliks Medvedev pleaded guilty to his role in laundering over $150 million through bank accounts and shell companies on behalf of Russian clients. Separately, on Feb. 13, KSK Group – a sanctioned Russian company which assists Russian citizens with international money movements – and two overseas Russian nationals, including one sanctioned individual, were indicted for money laundering.
In the Southern District of Florida, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint against two Miami luxury condominium properties owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Perevalov. The properties are allegedly connected to a conspiracy to maintain and transfer real estate for the benefit of Perevalov. Located at the Ritz Carlton in Bal Harbour, the properties are valued at approximately $2.5 million.
Lastly, in the District of Columbia, a superseding indictment was unsealed today charging Vladislav Osipov with bank fraud in connection with a criminal scheme to facilitate the operation of the Motor Yacht (M/Y) Tango, a 255-foot luxury yacht that the Justice Department has previously stated is owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.
