Former Top FBI Official Arrested Over Ties To Sanctioned Russian Oligarch

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The former head of counterintelligence for the FBI's New York office has been arrested for his alleged ties to sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.

Charles McGonigal, 54, was charged with two counts of conspiracy, one count of money laundering, and one count of violating U.S. sanctions.

Prosecutors said that McGonigal's alleged crimes occurred during his tenure at the FBI and after he retired. He is accused of taking $225,000 from an individual who worked for a foreign intelligence service starting in 2017. He tried to conceal his relationship with the individual from the FBI, even as he traveled abroad with them.

After McGonigal retired from the FBI in 2018, he started working with Deripaska and two others to investigate a rival oligarch. McGonigal is accused of attempting to conceal the payments he received from Deripaska by laundering the money through various shell companies.

Mr. McGonigal betrayed his solemn oath to the United States in exchange for personal gain and at the expense of our national security," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Donald Alway.

McGonigal faces up to 80 years behind bars if he is convicted on all four counts.


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