‘Brainy Russian Don’ with Canadian-registered company
wanted by FBI is arrested in Moscow in special operation

WASHINGTON, January 25 (Itar-Tass) - Semion Mogilevich who has been arrested in Moscow in a special operation was included in the FBI wanted list as long ago as in 2003.

U.S. police hunted him on charges of racketering, fraud, money laundering, and other financial crimes.

Mogilevich, aka Palagnyuk, Telesh, Makelvich, is accused of involvement in fraud against investors of the YMB company, which is registered in Canada with headquarters in Newton, Pennsylvania.

According to American investigators, investors lost more than 150 million dollars as a result of Mogilevich's activities.

The criminal scheme worked out by him collapsed in May 1998, when warrants were issued for searches in the company's representative offices in Pennsylvania and selling of YMB shares was stopped at the stock exchange in Ontario.

The federal indictment of 45 counts, including racketeering, securities fraud, money laundering and others, against Mogilevich and his accomplices was issued in Pennsylvania on April 24, 2003.

Four photographs of Mogilevich of 2000-2001 with the comments that he is armed and dangerous and may attempt to escape if detained are placed at the FBI website.

The U.S. investigation bureau asked to contact local FBI offices or a nearest U.S. embassy or a consular department if there was any information about the person.
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