The United States has sanctioned five individuals and four entities linked to the TGR Group, a vast international network that circumvented sanctions on behalf of Russian elites.
According to the official statement, this step is being taken in coordination with the UK National Crime Agency, as well as the US Drug Enforcement Administration and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
It also reaffirms the G7’s commitment to countering attempts to circumvent sanctions, cracking down on illicit actors who misuse virtual assets to hide and increase their wealth, and reducing Russia’s ability to finance influence activities abroad.
“We will continue to protect the international financial system and take action against sanctions violators inside and outside Russia,” the US Treasury Department said.
With contacts around the world, TGR Group is characterized as an extensive sanctions evasion and money laundering network that works to conceal the illegal activities of its clients, including the use of digital assets such as stablecoins like Tether (USDT).
Controlled by Ukrainian national George Rossi, the network offers a range of services to embed, layer and integrate illicit financial schemes into the global financial system. These include laundering funds associated with sanctioned entities; providing an off-the-books service for the exchange of cash and cryptocurrency; receiving cash and presenting the value to customers in the form of cryptocurrency; providing a prepaid credit card service; and concealing the source of funds to allow high net worth Russian nationals to purchase property in the UK.
To support its illicit activities, the TGR Group utilizes other illicit actors such as the Smart Group, led by Russian money launderer Ekaterina Zhdanova (Zhdanova).
George Rossi (Rossi), a Russian-born Ukrainian citizen, is believed to have overall control of the TGR Group.
Elena Chirkinyan, a Russian national, is Rossi’s direct subordinate and is considered a decision-maker within TGR Group.
Andrejs Bradens, a Latvian national, is associated with numerous TGR Group companies, including Pullman Global Solutions LLC (Pullman Global) and TGR Corporate Concierge LTD.
Details on the sanctioned individuals and entities can be found in the Treasury Department’s statement.
