Former FBI agent arrested in US for helping Deripaska evade sanctions

In the United States, former high-ranking FBI official Charles McGonigal has been arrested for violating sanctions. According to the US Department of Justice, he is accused of trying to bail out Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska from sanctions.

Along with McGonigal, court interpreter Sergei Shestakov was arrested. He is also facing the same charges.

Shestakov and McGonigal in 2021, according to the Ministry of Justice, which by 2018 oversaw investigations against Russian oligarchs, rendered Services to a Russian businessman in violation of US sanctions, During conversations with Deripaska’s representative, defendants in the case tried to conceal the Russian businessman’s involvement in the operation, including not directly naming Deripaska in emails and using front companies in contracts. Documents sending and receiving payments from Deripaska used forged signatures and mentioned the same organizations.

McGonigal knew that his actions violated US sanctions because during his time at the FBI, he knew that Deripaska would be added to the sanctions list of Russian oligarchs. Furthermore, in 2019 They both worked with Deripaska to try to get the sanctions lifted, and as civil servants they had to be aware of the situation., In November 2021, when Shestakov was questioned by FBI agents about the nature of his and McGonigal’s relationship with Deripaska’s spokesman, he recused himself in a taped interview.

The case charges both defendants with conspiracy to violate US sanctions, violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Shestakov was also accused of perjury. The maximum punishment for this is five years in prison.