The FBI’s former top spy catcher in New York pleaded guilty Tuesday to a single count of a conspiracy to defraud the United States when he admitted to violating U.S. sanctions and receiving payment from sanctioned and indicted Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in exchange for cash and information on one of Deripaska’s rivals.
Charles “Charlie” McGonigal, formerly Special Agent in Charge of Counterintelligence at the FBI’s New York Office, told the court the received $17,500 from Deripaska, laundered from Gazprom Bank in Russia, to Cyprus, to a business bank account in New Jersey and ultimately his own private account.
McGonigal signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors which does not include a cooperation agreement and could lead to a maximum sentence of 5 years in jail. The judge said the guideline sentence calls for 57-60 months, though Judge Jennifer Reardon says she could of course deviate from that.
McGonigal told the court “this, as you can imagine has been a painful process not just for me but for my family, friends, and loved ones.”
He told the court he has reflected on the entire situation and is “deeply remorseful.” He added, “I take full responsibility and never intended to hurt the U.S., F.B.I. or my family”
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
He admitted that he received the money from Deripaska to collect open source derogatory information about rival oligarch Vladimir Potanin – a Deripaska competitor – and could have received over $650,000 had he successfully found and produced the location of $500 million in hidden Potanin assets.
Potanin, a former first deputy prime minister during Boris Yeltsin’s time as president, had several well-publicized business disputes with Deripaska and was sanctioned late last year by the U.S. Government.
When asked by Judge Reardon, “Did you know what you were doing was wrong and unlawful?” McGonigal answered “ Yes, your honor.”
McGonigal wore a tailored suit, crisp white button down shirt, shiny patterned silver tie, and wedding ring when he stood to give his allocution – his voice wavering at times.
Several recent reports indicate that McGonigal carried on an affair with a women while he was head of C.I. in New York who said he frequently had excess cash and seemed to enjoy expense restaurants and clothing.
Seth DuCharme, McGonigal’s attorney said after court “Mr. McGonigal conducted himself with dignity and he accepted responsibility.”
He is slated to be sentenced on December 14th.
