United States of America v. Yuri Khrameev,, a/k/a "Colonel Yuri," et al.

New York City, New York criminal defense lawyers represent the Defendants charged with conspiracy to commit multiple schemes around the world commit murder.

The RIS Network has allegedly carried out or conspired to carry out multiple schemes around the world. Most recently, this summer, the RIS Network recruited an individual based in the United States (“U.S. Resident-1”) to surveil and murder a prominent Russian dissident they believed to be residing in the United States. Among other things, SUAREZ sent U.S. Resident-1 two locations associated with Victim-1 to surveil; provided U.S. Resident-1 with explicit instructions on how to conduct surveillance; and promised U.S. Resident-1 between $1,000 and $1,500 to carry out the pre-operational surveillance. In turn, U.S. Resident-1 conducted the requested surveillance and passed back to SUAREZ multiple photographs and videos of locations associated with Victim-1. SUAREZ and CASTRO further offered U.S. Resident-1 $40,000 to “eliminate” or “disappear” Victim-1 and, when U.S. Resident-1 told them that he did not want to carry out the murder by his own hand, asked U.S. Resident-1 if he knew “someone [who] can do the work.” SUAREZ also told U.S. Resident-1 that he had “people in Mexico” who could otherwise carry out the murder, but they were delayed in doing so. In addition, SUAREZ attempted to recruit multiple other individuals within the United States to conduct pre-operational surveillance and murder Victim-1 and other potential targets within the United States, and offered them substantial sums of money to carry out the targeting of the U.S.-based victims.

The alleged attempted murder of Victim-1 is the latest in the RIS Network’s efforts. Last year, as alleged in the Indictment, the RIS Network solicited a U.S. Citizen (“U.S. Citizen-1”) to surveil and murder an individual located in Lithuania (“Victim-2”) who the RIS Network described as a “bad guy” who was “telling lies about Russia.” KIRILL KHRAMEEV first recruited U.S. Citizen-1 to travel to Victim-2’s purported address and take pictures. After U.S. Citizen-1 accepted and completed the assignment in exchange for a promise of $200, KIRILL KHRAMEEV introduced U.S. Citizen-1 to someone he described as his “boss” and a “colonel,” later identified as YURI KHRAMEEV. YURI KHRAMEEV then offered U.S. Citizen-1 approximately $25,000 to kill Victim-2. YURI KHRAMEEV further told U.S. Citizen-1 that they wanted Victim-2 dead because he was “spreading dirt about my country” and “distorting history.” YURI KHRAMEEV then sent U.S. Citizen-1 a photograph of Victim-2 and described that he could be murdered by “throwing a bottle of gasoline” or “sticking a knife” in him. After U.S. Citizen-1 declined to carry out the murder, YURI KHRAMEEV offered instead to give him a “simpler job” which could include “set[ting] fire to a warehouse of property or food” or “throw[ing] a bottle of gasoline at an electrical substation.” YURI KHRAMEEV made clear to U.S. Citizen-1 that the purpose was to target “all the countries that are helping Ukraine” and that he was offering “serious money for serious work.” Finally, YURI KHRAMEEV confirmed that he was a “colonel of Russian intelligence agencies.”

Overseas, the RIS Network has also allegedly recruited others to carry out acts of terrorism. One key member of the RIS Network who is involved in this overseas effort is OEMIS ROMAGOZA DURRUTHY, who coordinated travel and logistics for the RIS Network. In or about June 2024, DURRUTHY coordinated an attack in Prague, Czechia, including by sending to another participant potential attack sites and facilitating that participant’s travel. In or about September 2024, DURRUTHY coordinated another attack in Lithuania, in which he, again, booked travel reservations for another individual involved in the attack, and had frequent and ongoing communications with an individual involved in the attack. DURRUTHY also communicated with YURI KHRAMEEV in or about November 2025, during which time period DURRUTHY obtained media of one of Victim-1’s dwellings, which was ultimately surveilled by U.S. Resident-1 this year.

A criminal indictment is not proof of guilt.