WHITE PLAINS – A Westchester attorney pled guilty in federal court in White Plains to participating in a scheme to make approximately $3.8 million in payments to maintain six real properties in the U.S. owned by Viktor Vekselberg, a sanctioned Russian oligarch.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said with the guilty plea by Robert Wise of Pelham, he “admitted that he misused his position of trust as a lawyer, laundering money to promote sanctions violations by Viktor Vekselberg’s longtime associate, Vladmir Voronchenko. This office is proud to continue its work to enforce the sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
Wise pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Wise also agreed to pay $210,441 to satisfy a forfeiture order of over $3.7 million.
An indictment charging co-conspirator Vladimir Voronchenko, who is a fugitive, was unsealed on February 7. A civil forfeiture complaint was filed against the properties on February 24.
