Russian billionaire faces 20 years prison in the US for violating sanctions

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Russian billionaire businessman Oleg Deripaska faces up to 20 years in prison after violating sanctions in the United States.

A press release issued by the US Department of Justice on Thursday, September 29, revealed that Russian billionaire businessman Oleg Deripaska faces up to 20 years in prison in the United States. A businessman can receive such a punishment if a court finds him guilty of violating sanctions. 

“Deripaska has been charged with one count of conspiracy to violate and circumvent US sanctions, with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison”, said the statement.

According to the department, Deripaska continued to conduct business in the United States through two hired assistants, despite the sanctions applied to him in 2018. Charges were also brought against two of his alleged assistants – 45-year-old Russian woman Natalia Bardakova, and 42-year-old American Olga Shriki.

In the indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, Chriqui was also charged with destroying records, a crime that could also be punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

In addition to Bardakova and Shriki, 33-year-old Ekaterina Voronina also appears in the case. The investigation believes that she was a friend of Deripaska who gave false evidence to allow her to enter the United States. She faces up to five years in prison, and the case will be heard in the court of the Southern District of New York.

On April 6, 2018, the US Treasury imposed sanctions against Deripaska and companies controlled by him. He was banned from entering the US, had his assets frozen, and restricted local businesses from doing business with him. 

In January 2019, restrictions were lifted from Rusal, Eurosibenergo, and En+, all companies controlled by him, but the businessman completely lost control over them, as reported by dailystorm.ru.

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Written by

Chris King

Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com

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