Republican operative Paul Erickson indicted on wire fraud, money laundering charges in South Dakota
By PETE MADDEN, KATHERINE FAULDERS, KAITLYN FOLMER Feb 6, 2019, 8:24 PM ET
Paul Erickson, the longtime Republican operative who had a multiyear romantic relationship with accused Russian agent Maria Butina, was indicted on 11 counts wire fraud and money laundering charges by a federal grand jury in South Dakota, the Justice Department announced on Wednesday.
The indictment alleges, according to the Justice Department press release, that between 1996 and 2018 Erickson "knowingly and unlawfully devised a scheme and artifice to defraud and to obtain money from many victims by means of false and fraudulent pretense, representations, and promises." The charges are not related to Butina’s case or the broader investigation of Russian influence in the 2016 election.
The multiyear scheme allegedly involved three entities “owned and operated” by Erickson — Compass Care, Inc., Investing with Dignity, LLC, and an unnamed venture — through which he allegedly defrauded investors for his personal enrichment.
He was arrested and released on bond. If convicted, Erickson faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/accused-russian-agent-maria-butinas-boyfriend-paul-erickson/story?id=60900080