The US Justice Department announced on Thursday that it has indicted Virginia-based Russian television contributor Dimitri Simes and his wife Anastasia Simes on charges related to two separate schemes designed to violate US sanctions.
The first indictment alleges that Simes and his wife engaged in money laundering and violated US sanctions to benefit Channel One Russia, a Russian broadcasting station that was sanctioned in May 2022. Simes, who previously served as a moderator on the Moscow-based Channel One Russia show “Big Game”, stepped down from his position in 2022. Despite this, prosecutors maintain that Simes and his wife, who reside in Huntly, Virginia, remain at large and are believed to be in Russia.
The second indictment charges Simes and his wife with violating sanctions to benefit Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov, a Russian oligarch who was sanctioned in February 2023.
The indictments highlight the US government’s continued efforts to enforce sanctions against Russia and individuals supporting the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. These charges underscore the severity of sanctions violations and the potential consequences for those involved.
