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L The former Republican boyfriend of the l '. alleged Russian spy Maria Butina has been indicted by a federal grand jury in South Dakota for charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
Paul Erickson, 56, of Sioux Falls, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to 11 charges in federal court after being charged on Monday. He was released on bail, but US magistrate judge Mark A. Moreno has not set a trial date.
Federal prosecutors allege that Erickson allegedly used, between 1996 and August 2018, knowingly and illegally "false and fraudulent pretexts, representations and promises" to defraud "many victims", announced in a statement the US Attorney General. South Dakota District, Ron Parsons. Part of the alleged fraud was perpetrated through his Compass Care, Inc. assisted living business; Investing with Dignity, LLC, which claimed to develop a special wheelchair; and another company created to build so-called houses in the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota.
Erickson, if he is found guilty, incurs up to 20 years in federal prison and various fines for each charge.
In December, 30-year-old Butina pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to plot to play the role of illegal foreign agent in the United States. Butina risks up to five years in prison, after which she will probably be deported.
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