Rudy’s ‘Russian Agent’ Pal Charged With Fraud Over Beverly Hills Condos
‘HYPOCRISY’
A Russian intelligence officer and former Giuliani associate was charged with seven counts of fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy on Wednesday over a parcel of Beverly Hills real estate. Andriy Derkach, a Kremlin-backed Ukrainian politician, allegedly purchased the properties despite prior sanctions imposed on the oligarch related to his interference in the 2020 election, when he helped peddle a conspiracy theory that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that meddled in the presidential election, according to the Justice Department. “The conduct of this Kremlin asset, who was sanctioned for trying to poison our democracy, has shown he is ready, willing, and capable of exploiting banking system in order to advance his illicit goals,” said United States Attorney Breon Peace. Beginning in 2013 and on the precipice of the 2014 Ukrainian Euromaidan Revolution, Derkach and a co-conspirator bought two luxury condominiums in Beverly Hills. “Attempting to enjoy the safety, security, and freedoms of an open society, while secretly working to undermine that very society, is a hypocrisy that runs through every sanctions charge announced by the Task Force,” said Task Force KleptoCapture Director Andrew C. Adams. Derkach is still at large, but if convicted, he faces up to 30 years imprisonment.