US announces charges against Russian businessmen and their facilitators in a message to Putin

By FATIMA HUSSEIN and ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has announced a series of arrests and indictments against Russian businessmen and their facilitators in five separate federal cases that span New York, Florida, Georgia and the District of Columbia. The action was timed to coincide with the two-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Michael Khoo is a co-director of the department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. He said Thursday’s announcement is meant to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “we’re not going away” and “we can play the long game as well” so long as the war continues. Among those targeted are sanctioned Russian banker Andrei Kostin and two of his U.S.-based facilitators.