(Bloomberg) — A former Fox News producer was arrested and charged with sanctions violations for allegedly working for Russian business tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev.
Jack Hanick, 71, was arrested in London Feb.
3 and charged with violating sanctions imposed against Malofeyev and others after Russia’s 2014 takeover of Crimea from Ukraine, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement Thursday.
Hanick, a U.S. citizen, also was accused of making false statements to the FBI.
Hanick’s LinkedIn profile says he worked for Fox News for 15 years, from its start in 1996 until 2011. Prosecutors claim he then worked as a television producer for Malofeyev from 2013 to 2017, helping set up a Russian cable network.
Malofeyev owns Tsargrad TV, a conservative, pro-Orthodox-Christian channel that has supported Russian President Vladimir Putin. Hanick also worked for Malofeyev on projects to set up a Greek television network and to buy a Bulgarian network, according to the U.S.
Hanick is the first person charged with violating sanctions put in place in response to Russia’s 2014 undermining of democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine, according to the statement.
The U.S. is seeking to extradite Hanick.
In targeting Malofeyev for sanctions in 2014, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said he was “one of the main sources of financing for Russians promoting separatism in Crimea.”
Lawyers for Hanick didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the charges.
If convicted Hanick faces up to 20 years for violating sanctions and five years for making false statements.
Some of the allegations contained in the indictment against Hanick are taken from an unpublished memoir investigators obtained by getting a warrant to search his email.
Russia faced new sanctions after starting its invasion of Ukraine more than a week ago.
On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the launch of Task Force KleptoCapture, set up to enforce sanctions, export restrictions and economic measures imposed in response to the invasion.
Charges in the indictment show the FBI’s criminal investigation of Hanick is at least a year old.
The case is 21-cr-00676, U.S.
District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
(Updates with background.)
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
