New York Lawyer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Launder Money to Aid Oligarch's Sanctions Evasion

New York lawyer Robert Wise pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to make around $3.8 million in payments to maintain six real properties in the U.S. owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Wise pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering and faces a maximum of five years in prison, DOJ said April 25. He also forfeited more than $3.7 million and agreed "to be satisfied" by a $210,441 payment.

Vekselberg was listed as a Specially Designated National in 2018 after Russia annexed parts of Ukraine.The oligarch was redesignated in March 2022, with OFAC blocking his yacht and private plane. Vekselberg bought six real properties in the U.S. between 2008 and 2017, collectively worth around $75 million. Vladimir Voronchenko, an associate of Vekselberg indicted in February (see 2302070060), retained Wise to aid in the purchase of the properties, DOJ said.

Wise, using funds in a lawyer's trust account from Vekselberg, made payments to maintain and service the properties, DOJ said. After the oligarch was sanctioned, the source of the funds changed to a bank account in the Bahamas held by Smile Holding, a shell company controlled by Voronchenko, and from a Russian bank account held by a Russian national related to Voronchenko. Wise used these funds in violation of U.S. sanctions.