Disgraced ex-FBI agent expected to plead guilty over Russian oligarch work

Mr McGonigal is one of the highest ranking FBI officials to face criminal charges

A former high-ranking FBI official is expected to plead guilty next week in Manhattan federal court for his alleged ties to a Russian oligarch.

Charles McGonigal, 54, the former head of the FBI's counterintelligence division at the agency's New York field office, will appear at a "plea proceeding" on 5 August, according to court records.

He is one of the highest-ranking FBI officials to ever face criminal charges, according to ABC News.

Mr McGonigal retired from the FBI in 2018. He initially pleaded not guilty to four charges brought against him.

"The Court has been informed that Defendant Charles McGonigal may wish to enter a change of plea," a judge's order said.

The former federal agent was charged with violating US sanctions after he allegedly tried to get Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska off of the sanctions list.

He has also been accused of investigating a rival Russian oligarch in exchange for payment by Mr Deripaska. Investigators believe Mr McGonigal accepted payments through shell companies and forged signatures in order to obfuscate the fact that Mr Deripaska was paying him.

"The FBI is committed to the enforcement of economic sanctions designed to protect the United States and our allies, especially against hostile activities of a foreign government and its actors," FBI Assistant Director in Charge Michael Driscoll said in a statement at the time of Mr McGonigal's arrest. "Russian oligarchs like Oleg Deripaska perform global malign influence on behalf of the Kremlin and are associated with acts of bribery, extortion, and violence."

Charles McGonigal was arrested in January on charges of money laundering and conspiring to commit money laundering, among other charges. (Executive Mosaic/Potamic Officers Club)

Each of the four counts Mr McGonigal was charged with carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. It is unclear what sentence he will receive in exchange for a guilty plea, should he make one.

Mr McGonigal was arrested in late January after he returned from traveling to Sri Lanka. A judge released him on a $500,000 personal recognisance bond with restrictions on his travel.

He was also prohibited from contacting anyone else associated with his case.

Mr McGonigal is also facing charges in a separate case in Washington DC. He is accused of concealing $225,000 he allegedly received from a former Albanian intelligence agent.

His attorney said those charges are likely to be resolved without going to trial.