Former top counterintelligence official at the FBI’s New York office, Charles McGonigal, has been sentenced to over four years in prison for accepting secret payments from a sanctioned Russian oligarch and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. McGonigal pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and admitted to assisting Oleg Deripaska in gathering information on a rival Russian oligarch and concealing the source of the payments. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated that McGonigal violated the trust placed in him by his country and jeopardized national security by providing services to Deripaska. In addition to the prison sentence, McGonigal was ordered to pay a fine, forfeit money, and serve three years of supervised release. He has also pleaded guilty in a separate case in Washington. The Justice Department sought a five-year sentence and a significant fine, describing McGonigal’s actions as a betrayal of his country and a manipulation of a crucial sanctions regime. McGonigal’s lawyers argued that his work for Deripaska was aligned with U.S. interests. McGonigal spent over two decades at the FBI and worked on high-profile national security cases before retiring in 2018.
Former top counterintelligence official at the FBI’s New York office, Charles McGonigal, has been sentenced to over four years in prison for accepting secret payments from a sanctioned Russian oligarch and close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. McGonigal pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, admitting to helping Oleg Deripaska dig up dirt on a rival Russian oligarch and laundering money by concealing the source of the payments. McGonigal was also ordered to pay a fine, forfeit money, and serve three years of supervised release. The Justice Department sought a five-year sentence and a hefty fine, stating that McGonigal “betrayed his country and manipulated a sanctions regime vital to its national security.” McGonigal’s lawyers argued that his work for Deripaska was consistent with U.S. foreign policy. McGonigal had spent over two decades at the FBI, working on high-profile national security cases before retiring in 2018. He has also been charged and pleaded guilty in a separate case in Washington, with sentencing scheduled for February 16. McGonigal expressed remorse for his actions, acknowledging the impact on his credibility and apologizing for the embarrassment he caused. His wife attributed his actions to ambition leading him astray.
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Former FBI official, Charles McGonigal, receives a 50-month prison sentence for collaborating with a Russian oligarch.
