One year into the Ukraine war, the Justice Department continues to seize Russian assets and give the proceeds to Ukraine. It’s called Task Force Klepto Capture, and now, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York is in court, trying to seize six properties worth 75 million dollars from Vladimir Putin’s buddy, Viktor Vekselberg.
So let’s take a tour.
First, there’s 19 duck pond lane in South Hampton, NY. This nine bed, 11 bath, 9,200 square foot stunner is worth 12.9 million. It includes a bar, a great room with a projector to watch movies, and of course because it’s the Hamptons, a swimming pool and tennis court.
Next: 515 Park Avenue, in New York City, Unit 21. It’s four bedrooms, four baths, and 3,700 square feet. It was last listed in March of 2022 for 14.6 million. It recently had a complete renovation, down to the studs. It comes with a separate studio apartment for a live-in staff member. The building itself is a full service condo complex with a doorman and full time concierge.
As if we couldn’t get any more exclusive, there’s also a penthouse on Fisher Island in Miami worth an estimated 30 million dollars. It’s 9,400 square feet, seven bedrooms and 7.5 baths. This private island is only accessible by a private ferry and has properties owned by the rich and famous including Oprah Winfrey and Andrei Agessi.
Prosecutors say Vekselberg used these properties to launder money that he earned by evading sanctions. Some of the crimes are not related to the Ukraine war. They include smuggling communications and security equipment from the United States to Russia in a scheme that goes back to 2017. On top of that, he’s accused of smuggling hazardous gas detectors and other software from the U.S. to North Korea. For more stories on the mansions and yachts that have been seized from Russian oligarchs, head to Straight Arrow News .com.