Russian diplomats are in contact with Russian national Oleg Nikitin who was arrested in the US state of Georgia over fraud and money laundering, the Embassy in the United States said in a statement on Tuesday.
"The Embassy's diplomats are in contact with Oleg Nikitin, who is being held in solitary confinement in the US state of Georgia on charges of 'fraud and money laundering,'" the embassy said. "Russian citizen pleads not guilty. Since the arrest of the Russian by the local authorities in September of this year we also maintain constant contact with his relatives and lawyer. We will continue to provide the compatriot with the necessary consular legal assistance."
The US Department of Justice said in a press release earlier on Tuesday that the United States has charged Russian national Nikitin and his Russian-based company KS Engineering (KSE) as well as Russian citizen Anton Cheremukhin, two Italian nationals and an American for conspiring to evade trade sanctions,
Nikitin and Cheremukhin face up to 45 years in prison and a $1.75 million penalty on charges of violating trade sanctions, conspiring to violate trade sanctions and to defraud the United States, and conspiring to commit wire fraud and launder monetary instruments, the release said. Italian nationals Gabriele Villone and Bruno Caparini also face similar prison time and fines on the same charges.
US citizen Dali Bagrou faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine on the charges of conspiring to commit wire fraud and to launder monetary instruments, the release said.(UNI)