The Department of Justice (DOJ) has taken legal action to seize $3.4 million generated from the sale of a music studio in Burbank, California, allegedly linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska.
The DOJ claims these funds are tied to violations of U.S. sanctions imposed on Deripaska for his connections to the Russian government and energy sector.
In a statement, the DOJ explained, “The proceeds, which are beneficially owned by Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, are the result of sanctions violations.” Deripaska was sanctioned in 2018 and later indicted in 2022 for allegedly circumventing those restrictions.
Known as the founder of Russian industrial giant Basic Element, Deripaska has business interests spanning aluminum, energy, and agriculture, with an estimated net worth of $2.7 billion, according to Forbes.
The indictment against Deripaska includes charges against two associates, Olga Shriki and Natalia Mikhaylovna Bardakova, for their roles in alleged sanctions violations.
The DOJ asserts that Deripaska paid Shriki to manage various operations in the U.S., including the sale of the Burbank music studio.
Shriki reportedly managed the studio, known as Ocean Studios, between 2013 and 2018. She sold it in 2019 for over $3 million, with the DOJ alleging that the