The U.S. Treasury Department has blacklisted a popular Russian singer over alleged links to an international criminal group.
Grigory Lepsveridze, better known as Grigory Leps, is accused of links to the Brothers' Circle, which the Treasury describes as a Eurasian criminal organization chiefly based in countries of the former Soviet Union.
A spokeswoman for Leps on October 31 rejected the accusations as absurd.
Leps and two other Russians were among six people and four entities the Treasury blacklisted a day earlier over links to the Brothers' Circle.
A total of 28 people and entities have now been blacklisted by the United States for alleged links to the group, one of five transnational criminal organizations outlawed in the country.
"Russian Forbes" magazine put Leps' 2013 income at $15 million.
Grigory Lepsveridze, better known as Grigory Leps, is accused of links to the Brothers' Circle, which the Treasury describes as a Eurasian criminal organization chiefly based in countries of the former Soviet Union.
A spokeswoman for Leps on October 31 rejected the accusations as absurd.
Leps and two other Russians were among six people and four entities the Treasury blacklisted a day earlier over links to the Brothers' Circle.
A total of 28 people and entities have now been blacklisted by the United States for alleged links to the group, one of five transnational criminal organizations outlawed in the country.
"Russian Forbes" magazine put Leps' 2013 income at $15 million.
