31.10 US Blacklists Popular Russian Crooner Over Links to Mob
MOSCOW, October 31 (RIA Novosti) The US Department of the Treasury on Wednesday blacklisted three Russians, including a popular Russian crooner, over links with an international criminal group.
Russian singer Grigory Lepsveridze, aka Grigory Leps, is accused of couriering money on behalf of Vladislav Leontyev, blacklisted last year for being a key member of the Brothers Circle and for involvement in various criminal activities, including narcotics trafficking, the US Treasury said.
On Thursday, Leps spokesperson slammed the allegations as absurd and said she was surprised by the news.
She also said that, contrary to the information published by the US Treasury, Leps has no property in the US, and lives in downtown Moscow not on a Thai island.
Leps and the other two Russians were among six people and four entities that the US Treasury says are linked to the Brothers Circle, a Eurasian crime syndicate.
Veteran Russian crooner Yosif Kobzon came to Leps defense on Thursday, slamming the US move as utter idiocy. Since for the past 20 years the Americans have considered me mafia and a drug dealer, nothing surprises me any more he said.
Leps is a multi-award-winning Russian singer, the Russian Forbes magazine put his 2013 income at $15 million.
The Treasury describes the Brothers Circle as comprising leading figures from Eurasian criminal groups that are chiefly based in the countries of the former Soviet Union, but which operate globally.
A total of 28 people and entities have now been blacklisted by the US for links with the Brothers Circle, which is one of five transnational criminal organizations outlawed in the US.
Updated with new headline, comment from Leps' spokesperson and Kobzon, adds detail, edits throughout
