Ukraine ex-lawmaker, alleged Russian agent, faces US charges

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal authorities in New York have criminally charged a former Ukrainian lawmaker alleged to have acted as a Russian agent for over a decade and to have tried to influence the 2020 presidential election. The charges against 55-year-old Andrii Derkach were announced Wednesday in Brooklyn by U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. Authorities say Derkach is a fugitive and his whereabouts are unknown. Prosecutors say the charges pertain to his purchase of two condominiums in Beverly Hills. They say he hid his involvement from U.S. financial institutions after he began pursuing the real estate in 2013.