Four Convicted for Acting as Agents of a Foreign Government
A jury has convicted Omali Yeshitela, 82, Penny Hess, 78, Jesse Nevel, 34, all from St. Louis, and Augustus C. Romain Jr., 38, of Atlanta, for conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government. The indictment was filed on April 13, 2023.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that from at least May 2015 until July 2022, Yeshitela, Hess, and Nevel collaborated to act on behalf of the Russian government within the United States. Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, a Moscow resident, founded and presided over the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (AGMR), an organization funded by the Russian government. Yeshitela, Hess, and Nevel were leading figures in the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP) or its components. Augustus C. Romain, a high-ranking APSP leader, left the group in November 2018 to form the Georgia-based Black Hammer. Ionov’s activities were overseen by Federal Security Service (FSB) officers in Moscow, including indicted defendants Aleksey Borisovich Sukhodolov and Yegor Sergeyevich Popov.
In May 2015, Ionov invited Yeshitela to Russia for an all-expenses-paid trip to discuss future cooperation. Before the trip, Hess requested that Ionov arrange for Yeshitela to meet an “official representative of the Russian government.” In email communications shared with Hess, Nevel, and Romain, Yeshitela noted that Ionov was clearly an instrument of the Russian government. Yeshitela stated that Ionov represented “a method by which the Russian government is engaging the U.S. and Europe in serious struggle” by using “forces inside of the U.S. to sow division.” At a subsequent meeting with Hess and Nevel, Yeshitela explained that Ionov would only provide resources for actions supporting Russia’s efforts to “undermine the U.S.”
Under Ionov’s direction, the defendants engaged in several activities within the United States. In August 2015, Ionov asked Yeshitela, Hess, and Nevel to draft and publish a petition to the United Nations, accusing the U.S. of committing genocide against African people. Although Hess initially resisted, Ionov insisted that the APSP must publish the petition because Ionov and his Russian associates were “not exactly Black to demand it for ourselves.” Hess eventually drafted and published the petition, which Ionov promoted in Russian media.
In January 2016, Ionov provided a $12,000 guarantee letter to fund a four-city tour to promote the genocide petition. Yeshitela and Hess supervised the tour, reporting back to Ionov. After the tour, Yeshitela explained in an APSP meeting that they had “developed a relationship with forces in Russia who are involved in their own struggle with the US.”
Ionov attempted to influence local elections in St. Petersburg, Florida, on behalf of the FSB in 2017 and 2019, though there is no evidence of success. In July 2017, Ionov offered support, including “campaign finance,” to Nevel, who was a mayoral candidate in St. Petersburg. In 2019, Ionov regularly reported to the FSB about a local election, referring to one candidate as “whom we supervise.” In January 2020, FSB Officer Popov informed Ionov that the U.S. Presidential election was the FSB’s “main topic of the year.”
In April 2020, Ionov invited Nevel and Yeshitela to speak at a conference supporting Russian-backed secessionist movements in eastern Ukraine. Yeshitela later provided a video-recorded statement of support for the group, which Ionov reported to the FSB.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ionov complained to FSB Officer Sukhodolov about Russia’s failures in the information war. Sukhodolov instructed Ionov to “join in” the information war. Ionov then directed Yeshitela and Romain to stage demonstrations at a social media company’s headquarters in California. Ionov funded Romain and three Black Hammer members to fly to California, and Yeshitela directed APSP members in California to conduct a similar protest. After the Black Hammer demonstration, Romain messaged Ionov: “This is great! That was fun! Who we attacking next? With more time I can get a bigger crowd.”
In May 2022, Romain demonstrated at a media company in Atlanta to celebrate Russia’s “Victory Day,” and in June 2022, he demonstrated at the Georgia state capitol supporting Russia. During the demonstration, Romain declared, “I am not ashamed to say that the Black Hammer Party has relationships with the Kremlin,” referring to Ionov.
Each defendant faces a maximum of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI National Security Branch announced the convictions.
The FBI is handling the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Risha Asokan for the Middle District of Florida, along with Trial Attorney Menno Goedman of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, are prosecuting the case.
