WASHINGTON, DC – John Can Unsalan, 41, the president of Metalhouse LLC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering by conducting transactions worth over $150 million with companies controlled by sanctioned oligarch Sergey Kurchenko.
Unsalan was charged in a 22-count indictment returned on April 13 by a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida. The indictment included violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), international money laundering, and conspiracy to evade U.S. sanctions. From July 2018 to October 2021, Unsalan and others transferred more than $150 million to Kurchenko and his companies, knowingly contravening U.S. sanctions. The money was used to acquire steelmaking equipment and raw material.
U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger accepted Unsalan’s guilty plea in Orlando, Florida. Unsalan agreed to forfeit $160,416,948.56 in proceeds and could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The remaining counts of the indictment will be dismissed, as per the plea agreement.
On September 13, co-conspirator Sergey Karpushkin also pleaded guilty and agreed to forfeit over $4.7 million.