Spurned Ex-Lover Turned In Top FBI Official Who Was Later Charged Over Connection To Russian Oligarch: Report
A spurned ex-lover of Charles McGonigal, former Special Agent In Charge Of The New York FBI Counterintelligence Division, claimed that he turned him into the Bureau after telling her he didn’t want to leave his wife.
Insider reported that Allison Guerriero, McGonigal’s apparent lover, discovered a bag full of cash in McGonigal’s New York City apartment, comprised of large denominations, in October 2017. He claimed he won the money playing baseball, which she confronted.
McGonigal told Guerriero that he had two high-school-age children and an “ex-wife” Back in Maryland, he visited the state a few times per month.
She claims their affair lasted more than a year, and that he spent large sums of money on her.
On Monday, the Southern District of New York sealed a five-count Indictment against McGonigal as well as Sergey Shestakov.
Two men were accused of conspiring to violate and violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).“IEEPA”) and with conspiring to commit money laundering and money laundering. Shestakov was also charged with lying to FBI.
McGonigal, who had retired in 2018, was recognized by the DOJ. “supervised and participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, including Deripaska,” During his time at FBI. Shestakov was a former Soviet diplomat and Russian diplomat. He later moved to America and became a government translator.
One of the most stunning allegations contained in the Insider report was that McGonigal allegedly was bribed to open an FBI investigation into a U.S. citizen who lobbied for an opponent of the Albanian prime minister.
Guerriero claimed that McGonigal used FBI resources for their relationship, including having sex in one of the Bureau’s vehicles and having a junior-level agent give her rides. He claimed she was “caring, loving, and concerned” While she battled with cancer.
When the two broke up in 2018, she claims that she got an anonymous hate note in the mail and that McGonigal later told her that he was married and was not going to leave his wife.
“I was shocked,” She spoke. “I was very much in love with him, and I was so hurt.”
She said that she had hit rock bottom, that she began to drink heavily after the breakup, that she then harassed his family, leading to a restraining orders.
One day, after she consumed a large amount of alcohol, she says that she emailed another top FBI official and encouraged him to look into McGonigal’s dealings in Albania.
FBI agents later showed up and interviewed Guerriero over McGonigal’s business dealings, and she later received a grand-jury subpoena requesting communication records and other financial information related to him.
The following statement was made by the DOJ when they released the McGonigal indictment:
MCGONIGAL, SHESTAKOV, and SHESTAKOV conspired in 2021 to provide services for Deripaska. This was in violation of U.S. Sanctions imposed on Deripaskaska in 2018. MCGONIGAL was negotiating with Deripaska’s agent. SHESTAKOV and SHESTAKOV then agreed to conduct an investigation into a rival Russian oligarch, in return for hidden payments from Deripaska. As part of their negotiations with Deripaska’s agent, MCGONIGAL, SHESTAKOV, and the agent attempted to conceal Deripaska’s involvement by, among other means, not directly naming Deripaska in electronic communications, using shell companies as counterparties in the contract that outlined the services to be performed, using a forged signature on that contract, and using the same shell companies to send and receive payments from Deripaska.
MCGONIGAL AND SHESTAKOV knew their actions violated U.S. Sanctions because, among other things, MCGONIGAL was serving as SAC and received classified information that Deripaska would become part of a list of oligarchs subject to sanctions. MCGONIGAL, SHESTAKOV and SHESTAKOV also worked for Deripaska during a failed attempt to lift the sanctions against Deripaska. In November 2021, when FBI agents questioned SHESTAKOV about the nature of his and MCGONIGAL’s relationship with Deripaska’s agent, SHESTAKOV made false statements in a recorded interview.
U.S. attorney Damian Williams claimed that both men are guilty “should have known better” And that the Southern District of New York would “continue to prosecute those who violate U.S. sanctions enacted in response to Russian belligerence in Ukraine in order to line their own pockets.”
The Washington Free Beacon reported that McGonigal was involved with the FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign’s alleged links to Russia.
He was “one of the first” FBI officials to hear the story alleging that George Papadopoulos discussed Hillary Clinton’s emails with an Australian diplomat, the report said. Based on this alleged conversation, the FBI opened an investigation.
McGonigal was involved in the FBI’s investigation of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, the report added.
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