According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, GlobalOptions is one of several consultancies, attorneys and associates of Deripaska that are currently under investigation regarding tens of millions of potential laundered dollars that were permanent pressed via wire transfers from Deripaska's various enterprises.

To take a step back from the matter at hand, Mr. Deripaska cuts quite the controversial figure, even for the 40 year old Russian billionaire set. 

Currently number nine on the Forbes Billionaires list, Deripaska had his U.S visa rescinded in 2007 for reasons undisclosed by the State Department. Media reports attributed the move to concerns over Deripaska's connections to organized crime (and false statements that Deripaska did not officially make to the FBI when he was not officially interviewed).

Those specifically named by the WSJ from the GlobalOptions team as being investigated in the money laundering probe are GlobalOptions joint venture partner, Alexander Mirtchev and firm President, Thomas Ondeck. Under scrutiny from authorites are more than $50 million in suspicious Deripaska-related wire transfers, about $10 million of which ended up in the hands of GlobalOptions.

Thus far the GlobalOptions team, via Mirtchev, has stated that any monies received from Deripaska were unquestionably for legal and law abiding, albeit confidential, services rendered. Further more, via counsel, GlobalOptions has indicated that the firm has yet to be contacted by law enforcement regarding this matter.

In the short term, look for more attention here as the U.S. government has become more and more antsy over the influence of somewhat questionable characters from the former Soviet republics, who with the help of formerly high ranking officials in the U.S defense and intelligence communities now in private practice, have insinuated themselves quite aggressively into the U.S. business community.

If ol' John McCain pulls an upset victory off in a few weeks perhaps Mr. Deripaska's fortunes might turn around a bit?

-- MDT