Russian police issue arrest warrant for son of Krasnoyarsk regional governor

The Russian Interior Ministry has put out an APB for Artem Uss, the son of Krasnoyarsk regional governor Alexander Uss.

A Moscow court previously charged Uss in absentia with money laundering on a large scale, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the court. The ruling has not been appealed yet, so it has not entered into force.

If found guilty, Uss faces up to 7 years behind bars and a fine of 1m rubles (€16,200).

Earlier, the son of the Krasnoyarsk regional governor was detained at an airport in Milan on request of the US. The US prosecution charged five Russian nationals, including Uss, with money laundering and sanctions evasion.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, the Russian nationals brokered illicit oil deals for Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), the Venezuelan state-owned oil company. The US also accuses them of orchestrating schemes to unlawfully obtain military technology and evade sanctions using cryptocurrency and shell companies.

Uss refused extradition to the US during a court hearing in Italy on 21 October. His attorney says that house arrest is being considered, as his client has a business in Italy.

Sanctions against Krasnoyarsk regional governor Alexander Uss were introduced in July 2022.