A civil forfeiture complaint has been filed for $3.4 million in proceeds from the sale of a music studio in Burbank, California. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that these funds, owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, are linked to sanctions violations. An indictment against Deripaska for similar charges was unsealed on September 29, 2022.
Michael Khoo, Co-Director of Task Force KleptoCapture, stated: "As the allegations in the complaint once again demonstrate, those who have illicitly accumulated great wealth in support of lawlessness and international chaos invariably turn to the safety and stability of the United States’ rule of law principles in order to preserve their ill-gotten gains. It is predictable, hypocritical, and illegal."
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York commented: “Today’s filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against over $3 million in illicit proceeds of Oleg Deripaska exemplifies this office’s commitment to utilizing all available legal remedies to enforce our critical sanctions program.”
Damian Williams, United States Attorney
| website U.S. Department of Justice
Acting Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy of the FBI added: “As alleged, Oleg Deripaska, an OFAC Specially Designated National, through a series of companies and associates attempted to earn over $3 million in proceeds from the sale of a California-based music studio."
According to court documents, Deripaska was designated as a Specially Designated National by the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on April 6, 2018. This designation was due to his connections with the Russian government amid its actions in Ukraine.
An indictment revealed that Deripaska paid Olga Shriki for services benefiting him within the United States after being sanctioned. These services included selling a music studio and arranging for his children’s births in the U.S.
Deripaska acquired Ocean Studios California LLC through shell companies before his OFAC designation. Shriki managed operations related to this studio alongside others such as Pavel Ezubov.
The FBI continues its investigation into this case with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is handling litigation for this case.
The Task Force KleptoCapture was established on March 2, 2022, as part of efforts by U.S authorities to enforce sanctions imposed following Russia's military actions against Ukraine.