LONDON — The U.S. is seeking the extradition of British businessman Graham Bonham-Carter, charged with conspiring to breach sanctions imposed by Washington connected a Russian oligarch.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Bonham-Carter was arrested successful the U.K. connected Tuesday aft being accused of making payments for U.S. properties purchased by Oleg Deripaska, 1 of Russia’s astir almighty oligarchs and a metals magnate, and expatriating his artwork from New York City to London.
“Bonham-Carter obscured the root of backing for upkeep and absorption of Deripaska’s lavish U.S. assets, successful usurpation of the planetary sanctions,” Manhattan lawyer Damian Williams said successful a statement.
Bonham-Carter is accused of making illicit transactions worthy much than $1 cardinal to money properties successful the U.S. for Deripaska’s benefit, pursuing an probe carried retired with “substantial assistance” from the U.K.’s National Crime Agency (NCA). He faces 3 antithetic charges, each 1 carrying a maximum condemnation of 20 years successful prison.
The businessman was released connected bail aft appearing earlier Westminster Magistrates Court successful London.
The U.S. authorities alleged that Bonham-Carter worked for Deripaska for astir 20 years, and managed the oligarch’s existent property successful the U.K. and different European countries, including a location successful London’s swanky Belgravia Square.
Deripaska was sanctioned by the U.K. successful March arsenic portion of a radical of oligarchs targeted implicit the Russian penetration of Ukraine. That aforesaid month, a justice astatine Westminster Magistrates Court froze Bonham-Carter’s slope accounts and gave the NCA six months to investigate, amid allegations immoderate of his properties and companies that helium is linked to successful information belonged to Deripaska.
In 1 email, dated October 2021 and disclosed by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bonham-Carter wrote: “It[’]s each bully isolated from banks support shutting maine down due to the fact that of my affiliation to my brag Oleg Deripaska ... I person adjacent been advised not to spell to the USA wherever Oleg inactive has idiosyncratic sanctions arsenic the authorities volition undoubtedly propulsion maine to 1 broadside and the questioning could beryllium hours oregon adjacent days!!”
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