WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 (DC Times Online) — Federal prosecutors have charged five men in Manhattan federal court, alleging they were part of a Russian intelligence-linked network that tried to recruit people to kill a Russian dissident believed to be living in the Washington, D.C., area.
The charges are allegations, and none of the defendants has been convicted. The five defendants — Yuri “Colonel Yuri” Khrameev, Kirill Khrameev, Yaidel “Viking” Delgado Suarez, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy and Angel Eduardo Castro — remain at large, according to federal authorities and the indictment unsealed in the case.
What is the alleged plot?
The indictment says the network recruited a Venezuelan citizen living in Brooklyn to conduct surveillance of two locations connected to the intended victim. Prosecutors allege the recruit was offered between $1,000 and $1,500 for the surveillance work.
The person believed to be the target has not been publicly identified in the available court and government accounts. Authorities have also not identified the Washington-area locations.
Prosecutors allege that the recruit completed the surveillance but rejected an offer of $40,000 to kill the dissident. The recruiters then allegedly looked for other people in the United States who might carry out the killing.
The indictment reportedly says the recruit was told to place his phone in airplane mode, record video while passing the target’s home and delete messages afterward. Prosecutors also allege that the word “construction” was used as code for the planned killing.
The FBI has said it disrupted the alleged Washington plot. Federal officials have not publicly explained in the available accounts how the disruption occurred.
Who are the defendants?
The five men named in the indictment are accused of working in a network that prosecutors say was tied to Russian intelligence services. The indictment alleges that the network operated since at least 2024 and pursued surveillance, killings and attacks against civilian and military infrastructure in European countries aligned with, or seen as aligned with, Ukraine.
The specific roles prosecutors say each defendant played in the Washington operation are not fully detailed in the available accounts. The indictment also describes alleged activity involving intermediaries and potential recruits in several countries.
What are the charges?
All five defendants face a charge of conspiring to finance terrorism, according to the indictment and Justice Department accounts.
Khrameev, Suarez and Castro also face charges alleging a conspiracy to commit murder for hire. A conspiracy charge generally alleges that people agreed to commit a crime; prosecutors still must prove the required elements in court.
The charges were brought in federal court in Manhattan, even though the alleged target was believed to be living near Washington and the alleged surveillance recruit lived in Brooklyn. The supplied court accounts do not identify the case’s full caption, docket number or assigned judge.
What remains unknown?
The identity of the alleged target has not been disclosed. The available accounts also do not say whether the target knew about the alleged surveillance or whether any physical attack was attempted.
No defense statements from the five defendants or their lawyers were included in the supplied court and government accounts. The reports also do not explain whether any of the men are in custody or what steps prosecutors are taking to locate them beyond stating that they remain at large.
The indictment describes allegations, not findings by a jury. The government would have to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt if the case proceeds to trial.
