Helena Bonham-Carter's cousin could face prison for allegedly helping Vladimir Putin associate

Famous actorHelena Bonham-Carter’s second cousin is in trouble with the law. Graham Bonham-Carter is a British businessman and property owner, and hails from a prominent and famous aristocratic family in Great Britain.

Graham is accused of, and charged with, allegedly conspiring and helping a Russian billionaire in an attempt to unlawfully transfer and move the art that he owns. He is accused of deception and violating and evading US sanctions, including wire fraud. This does not look well for the Bonham-Carter family.

What did Graham Bonham-Carter do?

According to Market Watch, Graham managed Oleg Deripaska’s wealth. He was indicted for allegedly making secret payments and art transfers for Deripaska, who is rumored to be a close associate of Vladimir Putin and his party.

Graham also apparently assisted the Russian oligarch in evading sanctions. He allegedly set up a company for Deripaska under the name GBCM Limited, in an attempt to ‘manage’ his properties using fraudulent and illegal methods.

What has he been charged with?

The accused has allegedly hidden money and wealth from federal authorities and abused the financial systems, either directly or indirectly. With a three-count criminal indictment charge, the US seeks his extradition, as per The Art Newspaper. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to Euro Weekly News.

The actions of Graham, who is currently on conditional bail, does not reflect well on the rest of the global art market. Westminster magistrates have also allegedly frozen Graham’s bank accounts at the moment.

The businessman is also accused of transmitting payments for the upkeep of three residential properties in the US, which are owned by Deripaska, in the form of illicit transitions that exceed over $1 million. Two of the properties are said to be in New York City, and one is supposedly in Washington DC.

Sources used:

- The Art Newspaper: 'US seeks extradition of London businessman arrested on suspicion of moving art to help Russian billionaire avoid sanctions'

- Market Watch: 'Helena Bonham-Carter's cousin indicted for allegedly helping Russian oligarch evade sanctions'

- Market Watch: 'Highly sanctioned Russian oligarch with close ties to Putin indicted for sending flowers, arranging for child to be born in the U.S.'

- Euro Weekly News: 'Helena Bonham-Carter's cousin charged with helping Russian oligarch to evade sanctions'

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