Russian oligarch faces U.S. sanction charges for violations in Ukraine.

• A Russian oligarch has been charged with a crime by the Justice Department in connection with the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
• The U.S. accuses Konstantin Malofeyev of violating sanctions.
• The annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 caused an international outcry and led to sanctions against Moscow.

The Justice Department announced the first criminal charge against a Russian oligarch linked to the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine in 2014.

In the Southern District of New York, an indictment has been unsealed, accusing Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev of conspiring to and actually violating U.S. sanctions. Malofeyev, 47, was designated by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in December 2014 following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.

The annexation of Crimea by Russia led to international outrage and resulted in sanctions against the Kremlin. Following the annexation, a conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine between government troops and Russian-backed separatists.

In February, Russia invaded its neighbor and committed atrocities, leading to new sanctions from the U.S. and its allies.

The FBI stated that Malofeyev played a significant role in backing Russia's 2014 annexation of eastern Ukraine and recently characterized Russia's 2022 military invasion of Ukraine as a holy war.

According to U.S. authorities, Malofeyev is believed to be in Russia although he is still at large.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the Department of Justice has brought its first criminal charges against a Russian oligarch, according to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, who made the announcement during a press briefing at the Justice Department.

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Malofeyev, who is accused of repeatedly violating them while establishing media companies in Europe to spread pro-Kremlin misinformation, according to Monaco.

In 2015, Mr. Malofeyev transferred shares he owned in a Texas bank to a business associate, which violated U.S. sanctions, resulting in the seizure of the multimillion-dollar investment by U.S. authorities, she stated.

The indictment includes two charges, each with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The Russian embassy in Washington declined to comment on the charges.

An American citizen was charged by the DOJ with violating U.S. sanctions and making false statements about his ties to Malofeyev last month.

According to federal prosecutors, in 2013, Malofeyev hired Jack Hanick to work on a Russian cable television news network. Later, Hanick was sent to Greece and Bulgaria to assist in media projects on behalf of Malofeyev.

A sanctions charge with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a false statements charge with a maximum penalty of five years in prison have been brought against Hanick, who was previously based in London.