Vladimir Voronchenko, Money Laundering, New York 2024

NEW YORK, NY – Vladimir Voronchenko, a Russian citizen and legal permanent resident of the United States, is facing federal charges for allegedly participating in a multi-million dollar scheme to shield assets belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. The indictment, unsealed today, accuses Voronchenko of funneling over $4 million to maintain four U.S. properties owned by Vekselberg and attempting to sell two of them – a brazen attempt to circumvent sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

According to federal prosecutors, Voronchenko, who resided in New York, Southampton, Fisher Island, and Russia, acted as a key facilitator, leveraging shell companies and deceptive practices to keep Vekselberg’s luxury real estate portfolio afloat after the oligarch was designated a Specially Designated National (SDN) by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in April 2018. The charges don’t stop there; Voronchenko is also accused of contempt of court for fleeing the United States after being subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury.

“The indictment unsealed today signals the United States’ continued commitment to holding individuals who violate sanctions to account,” declared U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. “Vladimir Voronchenko and others illegally funneled millions of dollars into the United States to maintain luxury U.S. residences owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. With these charges, the United States sends a strong message that it will continue to vigorously enforce economic sanctions, including those imposed in response to Russia’s illegal and unjustified aggression in Ukraine.”

The scheme, prosecutors allege, began as early as 2008, with Vekselberg acquiring U.S. properties through a network of shell companies. These included an apartment on Park Avenue in Manhattan, a sprawling estate in Southampton, and other luxury holdings. Following Vekselberg’s designation as an SDN, Voronchenko allegedly stepped in to manage the properties, using illicit funds to cover expenses and even attempting to offload some of the assets. Andrew C. Adams, Director of Task Force KleptoCapture, emphasized the lengths authorities went to uncover the scheme: “Shell companies, strawmen, and professional money launderers did not shield Voronchenko or the illicit transactions charged today from the investigative persistence of HSI, FBI, and the attorneys of the Southern District of New York.”

Investigators from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) meticulously traced the flow of funds, exposing the elaborate web of financial transactions designed to conceal Vekselberg’s ownership. “Russian illicit finance is a threat to U.S. national and homeland security,” stated HSI Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. “HSI will not allow the American financial system to unknowingly facilitate dark money transfers, and today we have charged another oligarch facilitator for his alleged actions in support of the corrupt regime.”

Voronchenko now faces serious federal charges, potentially leading to significant prison time. The case serves as a stark warning to anyone attempting to evade U.S. sanctions and launder money on behalf of sanctioned individuals. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities indicate that further charges may be forthcoming as they continue to dismantle the financial networks supporting Russia’s elite.

MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS

White Collar Crime

Travis Hill, Insider Trading, Washington 2023

Feb 24, 2026

White Collar Crime

Correra Montoya, Money Laundering, Florida 1994

Jan 15, 1994

White Collar Crime

Ramirez Y Ramirez, Wire Fraud, New York 2016

Jan 15, 2016

White Collar Crime

Espinosa Cardenas, Wire Fraud, New York 2015

Jan 15, 2015