WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2023) The United States has charged a Russian and a British businessman with money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the US government for allegedly facilitating a sanctions evasion scheme for a sanctioned Russian businessman, the US Justice Department said on Friday.
"Two businessmen, Vladislav Osipov, 51, a Russian national, and Richard Masters, 52, a United Kingdom national, are charged in separate indictments unsealed today in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, with facilitating a sanctions evasion and money laundering scheme in relation to the ownership and operation of the Motor Yacht... owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg," the Justice Department said in a statement.
The United States requested Spain arrest Masters for the purposes of extradition, which they granted on Friday, the statement said.
The arrest warrant against Osipov remains outstanding, the statement said.
The indictments allege the two men concealed the ownership of a yacht belonging to Vekselberg while using US companies and the US financial system. Osipov and Masters also allegedly advised and enabled the yacht's employees to continue doing business with US companies and avoid sanctions, the statement added.
