Former top FBI official accused of working for sanctioned Russian oligarch, prosecutors say 

A former top FBI official in New York was arrested on Saturday after being accused of working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch. 

Charles McGonigal, the special agent who was in charge of counterintelligence at the FBI’s New York Field Office was arrested over his ties to Oleg V. Deripaska, a Russian aluminum magnate with ties to President Vladimir Putin. Deripaska is sanctioned and criminally charged by the United States. 

McGonigal, who retired from the agency in 2018, was arrested at JFK Airport after traveling to Sri Lanka. He has pleaded not guilty to the four-count indictment unsealed on Monday. 

During his time at the FBI, McGonigal, 54, investigated oligarchs. However, in 2021 he allegedly agreed to investigate a rival Russian oligarch for Deripaska in exchange for payments, according to the Justice Department. 

He allegedly received the payments through shell companies and forged signatures to hide where the money was coming from. McGonigal made at least $25,000 working for Deripaska, according to the indictment. 

In connection to the case, a court interpreter, Sergey Shestakov, was also arrested. Both men face four counts of money laundering and sanction violation charges. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. 

The former official was released on a $500,000 personal recognizance bond. Additionally, a judge placed travel restrictions and prohibitions on contacting anyone associated with the case.  

"The FBI is committed to the enforcement of economic sanctions designed to protect the United States and our allies, especially against hostile activities of a foreign government and its actors," FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael Driscoll said in a statement. "Russian oligarchs like Oleg Deripaska perform global malign influence on behalf of the Kremlin and are associated with acts of bribery, extortion, and violence."