Monday, October 26, 2009

Billionaire Russian Crime Boss Named to U.S. 10 Most Wanted


The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation named a Russian billionaire crime boss last week to its 10 Most Wanted List.

Semion Mogilevich, who has been described as the most powerful and dangerous gangster in the world, is a wanted man in numerous countries, where he has laundered money to finance his various criminal enterprises. In the U.S., he is wanted for orchestrating a scheme that defrauded investors in a company that he controlled of more than $150 million.

But that’s just the beginning. The FBI says Mogilevich is believed to have been involved in weapons and drug trafficking, contract murders, extortion, and other crimes both inside and outside Russia. Most recently, authorities believe he has been able to manipulate energy markets, taking control of companies involved in natural gas disputes between Russia and Ukraine.

A Ukrainian national, Mogilevich has an economics degree from Lviv University in the Ukraine, which gave rise to his nickname, “the Brainy Don.” He holds several citizenships, including Russian, and is believed to be living in Moscow. He was arrested there in 2008 on tax fraud charges, but was later released.

A reward of $100,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

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