FBI agents on Saturday arrested former bureau counter-intelligence official Charles McGonigal at New York’s JFK airport on charges of violating sanctions in connection to McGonigal’s work for scumbag Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News.
A Justice Department press release goes into more detail: “In 2021, MCGONIGAL and SHESTAKOV conspired to provide services to Deripaska, in violation of U.S. sanctions imposed on Deripaska in 2018. Specifically, following their negotiations with an agent of Deripaska, MCGONIGAL and SHESTAKOV agreed to and did investigate a rival Russian oligarch in return for concealed 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.”