Security Researcher Who Exposed Former Top FBI Official’s Connection to Russian Oligarch Described as a Putin ‘Favorite’ Found Dead

A security researcher who exposed a former high-ranking FBI counterintelligence official’s dealings with a wealthy Russian oligarch close to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, was found dead in her Boynton Beach, Florida, home. Allison Guerriero tipped off investigators about Charles McGonigal’s work with a Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, which included investigating a rival oligarch in exchange for payments. The two had an affair for roughly a year, and she raised concerns about McGonigal’s behavior and dealings after they broke up. McGonigal pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in 2023. Guerriero was found dead at her home on Thursday. In the days leading up to her death, she had been arguing on X with a left-wing journalist, Jackie Singh, over the accuracy of her allegations against McGonigal. Ms. Singh claimed Guerriero told her that she “invented” the allegations against the disgraced FBI official. However, Guerriero denied that assertion and said her account was accurate. She also criticized Congressman Jim Jordan for not holding public hearings into the matter. There were no details publicly available about the cause of her death. The Boynton Beach police department did not respond to The New York Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication.An obituary for her notes that she found a “niche” in the security field. Her X profile says that she had been “sick with illnesses and injuries” for several years. However, in a post on Facebook, an individual identified as her brother-in-law, Michael Westhead, said that she “passed away peacefully,” after “living her best life in Florida,” where she swam “every day” and was “happy and healthy.”Ms. Singh wrote on X that she was “aware” of reports that Guerriero had died. “The cause has not been determined and I won’t speculate about it. My story is unchanged and remains free to read,” she wrote as she doubled down on her claim that the allegations against McGonigal had been fabricated. In 2023, Guerriero gave an account of McGonigal’s lavish spending to Business Insider, detailing how he found bags full of cash in his small Park Slope apartment. Despite his meager living arrangements, she said he would give her cash gifts of $500 or $1,000. She also said that he deceived her and led her to believe he was divorced or was about to be. However, their relationship ended in 2018 after McGonigal — who was tasked with finding enemy spies — disclosed that he was, in fact, still married and was not planning on leaving his wife. Guerriero told Business Insider that after a period of heavy drinking she wrote an email to the head of the FBI’s New York City office, telling him that investigators should look into their affair and McGonigal’s dealings in Albanian.McGonigal was later indicted for accepting $225,000 from a former Albanian intelligence official, and his coordination with Mr. Deripaska, which included efforts to get the oligarch off America’s sanction’s list.Mr. Deripaska has been described as a “pro-Kremlin oligarch” and a “favorite” of Mr. Putin. In 2018, The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Mr. Deripaska for “having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, a senior official of the Government of the Russian Federation.” Mr. Deripaska’s name became widely known due to his connection to President Trump’s 2016 campaign manager, Paul Manafort.McGonigal, who was sentenced to 78 months in prison, told a federal judge in 2023 that he “committed a felony” and it caused him “extreme emotional and physical pain.” While he said he feels a “deep sense of remorse,” the judge, Jennifer Rearden, said at the sentencing hearing that he “well knew his actions violated” the sanctions imposed on Mr. Deripaska and highlighted the “extraordinary seriousness” of his crimes.

Security Researcher Who Exposed Former Top FBI Official’s Connection to Russian Oligarch Described as a Putin ‘Favorite’ Found Dead

Security Researcher Who Exposed Former Top FBI Official’s Connection to Russian Oligarch Described as a Putin ‘Favorite’ Found Dead

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