Ex-FBI Agent McGonigal Gets Prison Sentence for Secret Work for Russian Oligarch
In a stark reminder of the consequences of working against U.S. sanctions, former FBI counterintelligence official Charles McGonigal was sentenced to four years and two months in prison and fined $40,000 for secretly working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
The 55-year-old McGonigal, who had served as the head of the FBI's counterintelligence division in New York, pleaded guilty in August to conspiring to evade sanctions laws and money laundering. He was arrested and charged in January.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, McGonigal had investigated Russian oligarchs during his time with the FBI. Before leaving the FBI in 2018, he is said to have established contacts with a Deripaska representative, intending to work for the Russian aluminum billionaire after his federal career. He is then reported to have carried out investigations into a rival Russian oligarch in 2021 in exchange for secret payments.
Prosecutor Damian Williams stated, "Charles McGonigal betrayed the trust his country placed in him by using his high position at the FBI to prepare his business future." Once he left public service, he had "put our national security at risk" by working for Deripaska, who was acting as an "agent" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The case of McGonigal underscores the severe implications of working against U.S. sanctions, particularly with oligarchs linked to international tensions.
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As a former top FBI counterintelligence official, McGonigal's conviction highlights the perils of violating U.S. sanctions, particularly when it involves collaborating with oligarchs like Deripaska, who are subject to international tensions and sanctions. The severity of his punishment serves as a stark reminder of the significance of abiding by sanctions regulations and upholding national security interests.
