Former FBI Official Pleads Guilty to Sanctions Violation

Deep Remorse Expressed for Assistance to Russian Oligarch

New York City, NY — In a significant development, Charles McGonigal, a former high-ranking FBI counterintelligence official, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiring to violate sanctions on Russia. McGonigal, 55, expressed deep remorse as he admitted to working for billionaire industrialist Oleg Deripaska after his retirement.

The retired official confessed to accepting over $17,000 from Deripaska to gather derogatory information about a Russian oligarch who was a business competitor. It is worth noting that Deripaska has been under U.S. sanctions since 2018 due to his alleged involvement in Russia's occupation of Crimea.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Dell revealed that McGonigal also sought to assist Deripaska in removing his name from the sanctions list. Alongside his co-conspirators, he was engaged in negotiations to receive a substantial fee ranging from $650,000 to $3 million. Their task was to uncover electronic files revealing hidden assets totaling $500 million belonging to Deripaska's business rival.

McGonigal pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiring to launder money and violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. As a result, he may face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Judge Jennifer H. Rearden has scheduled his sentencing for December 14.

This case exemplifies the Department of Justice's unwavering commitment to combatting the illegal networks that Russian oligarchs employ to evade sanctions and circumvent U.S. laws, emphasized Matthew G. Olsen from the Justice Department.

New York, NY - During a court hearing on Tuesday, former FBI special agent McGonigal admitted to concealing a payment of $17,500 from Russian oligarch Deripaska, further complicating the ongoing investigation into ties between Russian officials and current/former FBI personnel.

In the hearing, held at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, McGonigal tearfully confessed that he had received the payment through a bank in Cypress and a New Jersey-based corporation, ultimately depositing it into his personal bank account.

McGonigal, who oversaw investigations into Russian oligarchs while serving as special agent in charge of the FBI’s counterintelligence division in New York from 2016 to 2018, emphasized that his actions were never intended to harm the United States, the FBI, or his loved ones. He expressed deep remorse for the pain and disappointment his actions had caused.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, of the Justice Department’s national-security division, released a statement following McGonigal's plea, emphasizing the department's commitment to dismantling illegal networks used by Russian oligarchs to evade sanctions and laws. The statement also highlighted the Department of Justice's determination to hold all individuals accountable for their actions, regardless of their position or affiliation.

This latest development in the investigation demonstrates the need for continued vigilance in rooting out corruption and deception within law enforcement agencies. It serves as a reminder that no individual is above the law and highlights the ongoing efforts to ensure transparency and trust in our justice system.