In the US, detained four Russians on suspicion of money laundering and fraud

Four Russian citizens were detained in the United States on suspicion of money laundering and conspiracy to commit fraud. About this in his “Twitter"reported the Russian Consulate General in New York.

Фото: Depositphotos

Two detainees were detained in Los Angeles, the third was detained in New York, the fourth is known only for the fact of arrest. Details of the detention of suspected Russians, as well as their names have not yet been named. The general consulate of Russia also did not specify whether diplomats can communicate with arrested fellow citizens.

Photo: twitter.com/rcgnewyork

Photo: twitter.com/rcgnewyork

Recall that over the past month this is not the first case of the detention of Russian citizens in the United States on suspicion of serious crimes. Mid July in America arrested 29-year-old Russian woman Maria Butinaaccused of conspiring to work in the United States as a foreign agent without proper registration with the Justice Ministry.

The 29-year-old native of Barnaul Butina is best known in her home country as the founder of the public organization Right to Arms, which advocates the expansion of the rights to own a short-barreled rifle in Russia.

Maria Butina in 2013,
personal page of Maria Butina on Facebook

During a court session in the United States, prosecutors stated that the detainee had connections with Russian intelligence and that there is a serious risk that she will leave the USA. Judge Deborah Robinson said she did not see a situation in which Butina’s return to court, where she would face the two charges against her, is guaranteed. Especially considering that on one of the charges she faces up to 10 years in prison. Therefore, the court made a decision on keeping the suspect in custody.

Maria Butina Photos: Facebook

Lawyer Robert Driscoll, who represents the interests of Butina, said that his client did not admit her guilt, and also denied the suspicion that a woman might try to leave the country. During the hearing, the lead prosecutor in the case showed a photo of Butin during a meeting with an alleged Russian intelligence officer in a restaurant in Washington. According to the investigation, Butina has access to thousands of dollars and "the intention to withdraw this money from the United States."

According to the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whose goal is to improve bilateral relations. In a conversation, Lavrov "stressed the unacceptability of the actions of the American authorities who arrested the Russian citizen M. Butinu in the United States on the basis of trumped-up charges, and the need for her speedy release."

Photo: mid.ru

Later it turned out that Butina for ten years worked in the US Embassy in Moscowbefore she was fired last year. At one time, she was hired by the US Secret Service and came under suspicion after a routine security check conducted by the State Department, according to sources cited by the British Guardian and CNN. The audit demonstrated that the woman had regular unauthorized meetings with the FSB agency.

The woman had access to the internal network of the US Secret Service and e-mail systems, media reported. This allowed her to potentially access confidential data, including the working schedules of the US President and Vice President. However, "she did not have access to classified information," a source told CNN.

Фото: Depositphotos

The founder of the public organization Right to Arms, Butina is considered a person close to the deputy chairman of the Central Bank, former senator Alexander Torshin - judging by the American indictment, it was he who oversaw her activities in the United States.

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