Igor Kolomoisky became the largest real estate owner in Cleveland, Ohio. According to the FBI, real estate purchase schemes were used to launder money. This is stated in an investigation by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, based on the charges of the US Attorney's Office.
The investigation showed that the oligarch together with his partners became the largest landlord in Cleveland, as he invested millions of dollars in local skyscrapers. Thus, in the best years, Optima Ventures of Kolomoiskyi owned more than 260 m² of commercial real estate in Ohio.
"The story began in 2008, when Kolomoisky and his partners "invested" $12,9 million in the USA, bought one of the most prominent high-rise buildings in the city - a business center at 55 Public Square. In the same year, the partners invested another $36 million in the United States to buy One Cleveland Center. And in 2010, $18,5 million was transferred to the country through four different offshore bank accounts to purchase the Huntington Building," the article says.
According to the conclusions of the American investigation, the funds came to Cleveland from the Ukrainian Privatbank. According to this scheme, employees of the institution loyal to Kolomoisky transferred money from the bank to companies controlled by the oligarch.
According to the US Attorney's Office, the fraudulent nature of these loans is obvious. For example, $12 million, for which One Cleveland Center was purchased, is a loan issued to one ferroalloy plant in Ukraine to finance current operations, journalists note.
As a reminder, in March 2021, the US State Department imposed sanctions against oligarch Igor Kolomoisky for his involvement in corruption.
