Bloomberg — A year after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States is trying to seize six luxury properties in New York and Florida, valued at $75 million, linked to oligarch Viktor Vekselberg.
Manhattan prosecutors asked a court Friday to seize the properties in New York, Southampton, New York and Fisher Island, Florida, alleging they are the proceeds of sanctions violations. The government claims they are implicated in international money laundering by Vladimir Voronchenko, who was indicted this month.
“Today’s action, brought on the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, seeks the forfeiture” of property “held by funneling millions of dollars into the United States,” Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.
The properties include 19 Duck Pond Lane, a nine-bedroom, 11-bathroom extension in Southampton, valued at $12.9 million, with a wine room, gym, all-weather tennis court and a “big lawn.” perfect for a football game or an elegant sculpture garden,” according to an ad on Zillow.
The Manhattan home, at 515 Park Avenue, was last listed for $14.6 million. It is a residence of more than 325 square meters, four bedrooms and four bathrooms, renovated by the Italian interior designer Augusto Busnelli, according to StreetEasy. One of the Florida homes is a trophy seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom penthouse on Fisher Island, one of Miami Beach’s most exclusive residential enclaves, according to Realtor.com.
Since the invasion of Ukraine a year ago, the United States has been aggressively going after assets held by wealthy Russians through a task force called KleptoCapture that searches for yachts, private jets and hidden money linked to sanctioned Russians. The Justice Department charged Ilya Balakaev, a Russian national, on Friday with smuggling into Russia from the United States equipment used in counterintelligence operations and exporting to Russia from the US dangerous gas detectors for North Korea.
Prosecutors claim that after Vekselberg was deemed a Specially Designated National subject to US sanctions in April 2018, Voronchenko and a family member directed 25 wire transfers to a US lawyer’s account to maintain and service the properties.
Voronchenko, a childhood friend of Vekselberg’s, was charged earlier this month with participating in a scheme to make payments of more than $4 million to hold four of the properties and attempt to sell two of them.
Last month, the US charged two businessmen with helping to run Vekselberg’s yacht.
The case is US v. 19 Duck Pond Lane, Southampton, New York, 23-cv-01545, US District Court, Southern District of New York, Manhattan.
With the assistance of Patricia Hurtado.
