A UK businessman has been arrested for his alleged role in helping a Russian oligarch evade US sanctions. Graham Bonham-Carter, 51, provided property management and other services to Oleg Deripaska, who was previously charged with US sanctions violations in an indictment unsealed in 2022. The indictment alleges that Bonham-Carter obscured the origin of funding for upkeep and management of Deripaska’s lavish US assets, in violation of the international sanctions.
Bonham-Carter was arrested today in the United Kingdom, and the United States Government will be seeking his extradition to the United States. The indictment charges Bonham-Carter with conspiring to violate United States sanctions imposed on Oleg Deripaska and wire fraud in connection with Bonham-Carter’s funding of U.S. properties purchased by Deripaska and efforts to expatriate Deripaska’s artwork in the U.S. through misrepresentations.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said that Bonham-Carter’s actions were in violation of OFAC sanctions, which preclude supporters of the brutal and unjust Russian war regime from using U.S. dollars in any financial transactions. Williams thanked international partners for their continued partnership in enforcing this critical sanctions program.
Bonham-Carter’s alleged scheme allowed Deripaska to continue using U.S. dollars to fund his lavish lifestyle, despite being sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2018. The indictment alleges that Bonham-Carter made or received over $1 million in funds, goods or services by, to, from, or for the benefit of Deripaska.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael J. Driscoll said that the international real estate market’s opacity afforded Bonham-Carter no shelter from the diligence and expertise of U.S. law enforcement and their partners. He warned that others who would attempt to move illicit money through international markets should take notice: neither powerful connections nor sophisticated deceptions succeeded in hiding Bonham-Carter’s efforts to illegally service a sanctioned oligarch.
Defendant: Graham Bonham-Carter
Crime: Conspiring to Violate US Sanctions and Wire Fraud
City and State: London, UK / New York, NY
Date: February 6, 2024
Outcome: Currently in custody pending extradition to the United States
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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