# U.S. charges Russian oligarch with violating sanctions, disrupts botnet
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-04-06
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Russian Oligarch Charged with Violating Sanctions for
Meta Description: Read about the US Justice Department's actions against Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev for funding separatism in Crimea and disrupting a Russian military botnet.
URL: https://financedigest.com/u-s-charges-russian-oligarch-with-violating-sanctions-disrupts-botnethtml

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By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department has charged [Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev with violating sanctions imposed](https://www.financedigest.com/oil-prices-rise-after-opec-keeps-output-steady-russian-price-cap-imposed.html "Oil prices rise after OPEC+ keeps output steady, Russian price cap imposed") on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, saying on Wednesday he provided financing for Russians promoting separatism in Crimea.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said authorities had also disrupted a type of global malicious computer network known as a “botnet” controlled by a [Russian military intelligence](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-threat-to-baltic-security-rising-estonian-intelligence-report.html "Russian threat to Baltic security rising – Estonian intelligence report") agency.

The Justice Department will continue to use all of its authorities to hold accountable [Russian oligarchs](https://www.financedigest.com/new-u-s-sanctions-imposed-for-russian-bank-oligarchs-crypto-miner-bitriver.html "New U.S. sanctions imposed for Russian bank, oligarchs, crypto miner BitRiver") and others who seek to evade U.S. sanctions,” Garland told reporters in Washington.

The department last month launched a federal “KleptoCapture” [task force](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-says-it-is-committed-to-leading-a-nato-task-force-in-2024.html "Britain says it is committed to leading a NATO task force in 2024") that is working to further strain the finances of Russia’s oligarchs to pressure the country to cease its invasion of Ukraine.

Russia says it [launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-ukraine-agree-to-launch-talks-to-upgrade-2008-trade-accord.html "U.S., Ukraine agree to launch talks to upgrade 2008 trade accord") on Feb. 24, which [Ukraine and Western](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-russian-gold-removed-from-some-western-funds-after-ukraine.html "Analysis-Russian gold removed from some Western funds after Ukraine") countries say was an unprovoked attack.

U.S. authorities have long accused Malofeyev of being one of the main sources of [financing for Russians](https://www.financedigest.com/g7-finance-chiefs-agree-on-russian-oil-price-cap-but-level-not-yet-set.html "G7 finance chiefs agree on Russian oil price cap but level not yet set") promoting separatism in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Malofeyev tried to evade American sanctions by using co-conspirators to secretly acquire media organizations [across Europe](https://www.financedigest.com/air-pollution-surges-as-heatwave-sweeps-across-europe.html "Air pollution surges as heatwave sweeps across Europe"), Garland said. U.S. authorities [seized millions](https://www.financedigest.com/exclusive-binance-moved-346-million-for-seized-crypto-exchange-bitzlato-data-show.html "Exclusive-Binance moved 6 million for seized crypto exchange Bitzlato, data show") of dollars from an account at an American financial institution that are traceable to the sanctions violations, the attorney general said.

The announcement comes two days after Spanish police impounded a superyacht belonging to [Russian oligarch](https://www.financedigest.com/new-u-s-sanctions-for-russian-bank-oligarchs-crypto-miner-bitriver.html "New U.S. sanctions for Russian bank, oligarchs, crypto miner BitRiver") Viktor Vekselberg on behalf of American authorities, the first time the U.S. seized property belonging to a [Russian oligarch since its invasion of Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-grants-citizenship-to-top-russian-journalist-who-denounced-war.html "Ukraine grants citizenship to top Russian journalist who denounced war") in February.

Discussing the Russian military intelligence botnet, Garland said U.S. authorities were able to disable it before it could be weaponized.

The [Russian government has recently used similar infrastructure to attack Ukrainian](https://www.financedigest.com/ukrainian-volunteers-recount-three-weeks-in-russian-captivity-allege-beatings.html "Ukrainian volunteers recount three weeks in Russian captivity, allege beatings") targets,” he said. “Fortunately, we were able to disrupt this botnet before it was used.”

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Jan Wolfe; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis)


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