The Manhattan apartment and Southampton mansion of a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir Putin were raided by federal agents on Thursday, according to the FBI and a report.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed agents “conducted law enforcement activity” at the Upper East Side high-rise and Long Island estate linked to billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, but declined to comment further.
FBI officials and Homeland Security Investigation agents were seen carrying boxes out of Vekselberg’s 515 Park Ave. apartment building and his Southampton mansion at 19 Duck Pond Lane, according to NBC New York, which first reported the searches.
The US has imposed strict sanctions on a number of Russian oligarchs — including Vekselberg — since Putin invaded Ukraine in February.
In April, the feds seized an enormous, $90 million yacht dubbed Tango from Vekselberg while it was docked in a Spanish port.
The US has imposed strict sanctions on a number of Russian oligarchs like Viktor Vekselberg since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. TASS Host Photo Agency Pool via AP
Federal agents are seen on the property of Viktor Vekselberg in Southampton, Long Island, on Sept. 1, 2022. John RocaVekselberg’s other assets in the US, including a $90 million jet, have also been frozen. American companies are barred from doing business with Vekselberg, who raked in billions by investing in energy and metals in Russia.
The embattled oligarch is under investigation for alleged bank fraud, but Thursday’s searches are unrelated to those allegations, NBC reported.
In April, the feds seized an enormous, $90 million yacht from Viktor Vekselberg. Francisco Ubilla/AP
Spanish civil guards and HSI and FBI agents search Viktor Vekselberg’s yacht Tango in Palma de Mallorca. Spanish Guardia Civil/AFP via Getty Images