Belarusian arrested in US for helping Ukrainian oligarch evade sanctions

April 20, BPN. Belarusian national Siarhiej Karpuškin residing in Miami was arrested in the United States on April 19, the US Department of Justice said.

The man was allegedly “engaging in a scheme to violate US sanctions against oligarch Sergey Kurchenko and two related companies by purchasing over $150 million in steelmaking materials.”

Karpuškin’s alleged accomplice, US citizen John Unsalan, has been in custody on the same charges since April 14. Both may face lengthy prison terms if convicted.

In 2018, the US sanctioned two companies linked to Kurchenko for supporting Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine. Both companies are based in Russia and in Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia.