LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The United States is looking to seize ownership of one of the largest office buildings in downtown Louisville after the Justice Department alleged it is part of an international money laundering scheme.
In a civil complaint filed Thursday, the Justice Department alleged PNC Plaza was purchased by Ukrainian oligarchs using money stolen from a Ukrainian bank.
The oligarchs, Ihor Kolomoisky and Gennadiy Boholiubov, owned one of the largest banks in Ukraine, PrivatBank. The suit says they embezzled and defrauded the bank of billions of dollars, taking out fraudulent loans that the Justice Department says were rarely repaid except with more fraudulently obtained loans.
The complaint says Kolomoisky and Boholiubov laundered a portion of the money using different bank accounts before transferring funds to the U.S. With that money, the Justice Department said the oligarchs purchased real estate worth hundreds of millions of dollars, including PNC Plaza in Louisville and a Dallas office park.
The Washington Post reported Kolomoisky's lawyer, Michael J. Sullivan, said Kolomoisky denies all allegation made by the Justice Department. Instead, Kolomoisky told the Washington Post all money used to purchase U.S. properties, including PNC Plaza, was his own.
Federal agents reportedly conducted a raid of offices tied to the Ukrainian businessmen Tuesday. The Daily Beast reported the FBI was investigating Kolomoisky for financial crimes, including money laundering, as early as April 2019.
Kolomoisky is one of Ukraine's richest residents, most notably playing a role in the events leading up to the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Associates of Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal attorney, reportedly met with Kolomoisky in an attempt to get Giuliana a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he searched for information on Trump's political foe, presidential candidate Joe Biden.
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