Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent Charles McGonigal has been sentenced to over four years in prison. The U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said he had been supplying information to a Russian oligarch.
McGonigal, 55, was handed a 50-month jail term for his interactions with Oleg Deripaska in 2021. As part of a plea agreement, McGonigal acknowledged he received $17,500 from Deripaska.
The FBI “spy tracker” is perhaps best known for his work in helping launch the Russia hoax against President Donald Trump. McGonigal was responsible for much of the early work that led to the opening of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said McGonigal “violated the trust his country placed in him by using his high-level position at the FBI to prepare for his future in business.”
“Once he left public service, he jeopardized our national security,” Williams added.
McGonigal said he was “deeply remorseful”. He added that he took “full responsibility” and claimed he “never intended to hurt the U.S., FBI, or my family.”
