Andrey Muraviev, Making Illegal Political Contributions, New York 2024

Grimy Times has learned of a Russian oligarch’s alleged involvement in making illegal political contributions, attempting to influence the 2018 elections.

Andrey Muraviev, a 47-year-old Russian citizen also known as Andrey Muravyov, was charged with conspiring to make contributions and donations by a foreign national and in the name of another person, and making contributions by a foreign national.

The alleged crimes took place in the spring of 2018, as part of a plan to acquire retail cannabis and marijuana licenses in the United States.

Muraviev agreed to wire $1 million to fund hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions made by his co-conspirators Lev Parnas, Andrey Kukushkin, and Igor Fruman. The purpose of the donations was to curry favor with candidates that might be able to help Muraviev and his co-conspirators obtain cannabis and marijuana licenses.

According to the indictment, Muraviev’s money was used to reimburse and fund federal and state political donations in Florida, Nevada, and Texas, as well as politicians in New York and New Jersey.

Muraviev, who remains at large and is believed to be in Russia, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count, carrying a total maximum sentence of ten years.

The case is assigned to Southern District of New York U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken, who presided over the trial of Parnas and Kukushkin. Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Donaleski, Aline R. Flodr, Nicolas Roos, and Hagan Scotten are in charge of the prosecution.

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