Two individuals with ties to the Russian state-owned television station Channel One Russia have been charged in a federal court for alleged violations of U.S. sanctions and money laundering. Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia, are accused of carrying out schemes that provided services to the sanctioned broadcaster and benefited from prohibited financial transactions, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The first indictment, stemming from activities starting in June 2022, points to the couple's involvement in creating programs for Channel One Russia after the station was hit with sanctions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on May 8, 2022. For their services, the Simes allegedly received compensation exceeding $1 million, among other benefits, which included a personal car with driver, a Moscow apartment stipend, and the support of a team of ten Channel One Russia employees, according to the Justice Department.
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves commented on the charges, underscoring the gravity of such violations against the backdrop of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. "These defendants allegedly violated sanctions that were put in place in response to Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine," said US Attorney Graves. "Such violations harm our national security interests—a fact that Dimitri Simes, with the deep experience he gained in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and becoming a U.S. citizen, should have uniquely appreciated," he noted in a statement obtained by the Justice Department’s press team. The couple is charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), violation of IEEPA, and conspiracy to commit international money laundering, with maximum sentences of 20 years in prison for each count.
Moreover, Anastasia Simes faces additional charges in a separate indictment, which alleges her involvement with sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov, extending from February 2023. She is accused of procuring art and antiques on behalf of Udodov, using her Virginia residence as a waypoint for shipping items to Russia. This indictment also connects her to money laundering activities designed to obscure the origins of the illegally obtained funds, with each charge similarly carrying a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.
Both cases are under investigation by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, highlighting the sustained efforts of the Justice Department's Task Force KleptoCapture. This interagency law enforcement task force focuses on enforcing sanctions and countermeasures imposed by the U.S. and its allies in response to Russian military activities in Ukraine. As these legal proceedings advance, the Department iterates its commitment to leveraging all tools and authorities against those who seek to circumvent national security measures.
