Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov was charged in federal court in Florida with conspiring to have U.S. citizens act as illegal agents of the Russian government. Federal agents executed a search warrant at the Uhuru House, which served as the base of a African Socialist group. In recent weeks, the organization made news after its flag was torched with a flamethrower. A Tampa man was arrested and charged with criminal mischief in that particular incident.
Court documents say Ionov was working with political organizations to support political candidates and spread pro-Russian propaganda during its invasion of Ukraine. The federal indictment states that Ionov was in constant contact with un-named conspirators in Moscow as far back as 2014 and included a trail of wire transfers. Ionov’s goal, say investigators, was to recruit separatist organization to use as the medium to diffuse information.
In 2015, Ionov is alleged to have sent the director of the Uhuru movement on an all-expense paid trip to Moscow.
The Treasury Department also announced sanctions against him Friday, accusing him of giving money to organizations that he and Russian intelligence services thought would create a political disturbance in the U.S. and also looked into ways to support an unspecified 2022 gubernatorial candidate.
The Uhuru Movement is denying any involvement in anti-American activities and stated that they are allowed to have relationships with countries, like Russia and China and they called the government’s actions “an attack.”
