Two businessmen, Vladislav Osipov and Richard Masters, face charges in the United States for their roles in a sanctions evasion and money laundering scheme involving a $90 million yacht owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. The indictments were unsealed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Osipov, a dual Russian and Swiss national, and Masters, a UK national, are accused of facilitating the operation of the luxury yacht M/Y Tango despite U.S. sanctions against Vekselberg since April 2018. The charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States, violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and money laundering.
The Spanish Guardia Civil arrested Masters in Spain at the request of the United States for extradition purposes. An arrest warrant remains outstanding for Osipov.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves stated that "facilitators of sanctions evasion enable the oligarchs supporting Vladimir Putin’s regime to flout U.S. law." FBI Special Agent Alvin M. Winston Sr. emphasized that those who assist Russian oligarchs in hiding assets will be held accountable.
The indictment details how Osipov created a complex ownership structure using shell companies to conceal Vekselberg's ownership of Tango. Masters allegedly managed Tango through his yacht management company in Palma de Mallorca after Vekselberg was sanctioned.
Masters is also accused of devising a scheme to use a false name for Tango to disguise financial transactions from U.S. institutions, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars being processed without proper disclosure to the Department of Treasury.
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Ivan J. Arvelo remarked on how "Russian oligarchs are the product of an ecosystem of corruption" that abuses monetary structures for personal gain.
In April 2022, Spanish authorities froze Tango following a request from the U.S., based on allegations it was subject to forfeiture due to violations related to bank fraud and money laundering statutes.
The case involves cooperation between multiple agencies including Task Force KleptoCapture, which focuses on enforcing sanctions against Russia following its military actions in Ukraine.
