Ex-FBI Official Admits Guilt in Russian Oligarch Sanctions Case
A Former Top FBI Official Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate U.S. Sanctions
A former top FBI official, Charles McGonigal, who played a significant role in Russia-focused investigations, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions on a wealthy Russian oligarch. McGonigal, a retired special agent who led the New York FBI Counterintelligence Division, entered his guilty plea in New York on Tuesday.
During his court appearance, McGonigal expressed deep remorse for his actions and took full responsibility for his decisions. He emphasized that his intentions were never to harm the United States, the FBI, or his loved ones.
“After his tenure as a high-level FBI official who supervised and participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, Charles McGonigal has now admitted that he agreed to evade U.S. sanctions by providing services to one of those oligarchs, Oleg Deripaska,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “This Office will continue to hold to account those who violate U.S. sanctions for their own financial benefit.”
The charge against McGonigal stems from his agreement in 2021 to provide services to Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch whom he had previously investigated. In exchange for secret payments, McGonigal conducted research on a rival Russian oligarch.
In 2018, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Deripaska and several associated companies as a response to Russia’s malign activities worldwide. Last year, the Department of Justice unsealed an indictment charging Deripaska and others with violating U.S. sanctions in relation to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
McGonigal was arrested in January at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York upon his return from a trip abroad. He initially pleaded not guilty but has now pleaded guilty to the charges. He also faces separate charges in Washington, D.C., for concealing cash and is expected to resolve that case without going to trial.
Sentencing for McGonigal is scheduled for December 14, and he could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
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