Charges come after the FBI raided Dimitri Simes’ property in Virginia
Federal prosecutors have charged Dimitri Simes and his wife Anastasia with conspiracy, money laundering, and evasion of US sanctions on Russia.
Simes, 76, led the Center for the National Interest in Washington from 1994 to 2022, when he stepped down and moved to Moscow. He has since hosted a political TV show called ‘The Great Game’ on Channel One.
The indictment unsealed on Thursday alleges that Simes and his wife violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and engaged in money laundering of the profits. They face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the three counts, if convicted.
Simes has been accused of receiving “over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of 10 employees,” for his work as a producer and presenter at Channel One. The network was sanctioned by the US in May 2022 for “being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of” the Russian government.
“Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia,” the Department of Justice said.
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