In a recent development in the legal sector, Miami real estate broker Roman Sinyavsky has entered a guilty plea for his role in a money laundering and sanctions evasion scheme. Sinyavsky admitted to conducting transactions with properties linked to Russian oligarchs Viktor Perevalov and Valeri Abramov, who were previously imposed with sanctions by the U.S. The oligarchs, accused of aiding in the Russian occupation of Crimea through construction activities, have been a target of the U.S. government's crackdown on Russian economic interests post-invasion of Ukraine. According to a Department of Justice report, from January 2018 to March 2023, Sinyavsky engaged with others in a conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and launder money.
Under the deal, which has led to a guilty plea, the broker now faces up to five years in prison, as the Judge takes into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other contributing factors. The plea agreement has also led to Sinyavsky agreeing to forfeit a sum of $182,442.45, earned from the illicit ventures. Furthermore, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ordered a forfeiture of $1.8 million in January, representing sales proceeds of two luxury condos tied to Perevalov. Abramov's property, sold back in June 2018, has also been caught in the legal crosshairs of an economic sanctions violation case.
Concurrently with Sinyavsky's plea, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced an accompanying settlement involving Sinyavsky's company, Family International Realty LLC. The settlement came to a civil penalty approximately $1,076,923, however OFAC has agreed to credit the forfeiture against Sinyavsky's civil penalty, acknowledging the amount previously forfeited. This announcement was a part of effort led by the Department of Justice's Task Force KleptoCapture, and complemented by the contributions from a team consisting of U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, and others committed to enforcing the U.S.'s stringent economical actions against Russia's aggressive stances.
The case at hand was investigated by the FBI's Miami Field Office with the support from Sunny Isles Beach Police Department and the Office of International Affairs. The team working on prosecutorial aspects includes Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu, Lindsay Gorman of the Criminal Division's Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Joshua E. Kurland fromthe National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, aided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Rubin from the Southern District of Florida. This coordinated action underscores the ongoing efforts by the United States in collaboration with its allies to uphold the law against those who attempt to circumvent sanctions imposed due to geopolitical conflict.
