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Americans associated with black power socialist political organizations have been convicted in a federal court of conspiring with Russia. Omali Yeshitela, Penny Hess, and Jesse Nevel, all associated with the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP), and Augustus C. Romain Jr., associated with Black Hammer, each face upwards of five years in prison for receiving money from a Russian organization with the intent to “sow discord and spread pro-Russian propaganda.”
The four were accused of conspiring to receive cash and support from Aleksandr Ionov, who heads the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, and engaging in various activities within the United States on the Russian government’s behalf.
Despite the conspiracy conviction, jurors did not convict them of a more severe charge of acting as foreign government agents.
A suspicious death investigation involving Romain Jr., better known as Gazi Kodzo, resulted in a 2022 FBI raid of the socialist, pan-African, and APSP-controlled Uhuru Movement’s headquarters in St. Peterburg, Florida. During this raid, evidence of the foreign influence operation was uncovered.
RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the suspects worked with the FSB, Russia’s security service, sowing “discord” and spreading pro-Russian propaganda. In addition, at the request of Ionov, Yeshitela, Hess, and Nevel drafted a letter to the United Nations (UN) accusing the U.S. government of committing genocide against black Americans.
Three Russian nationals were also indicted by the DOJ last year for interfering in American elections and secretly funding and directing the mayoral campaign of Jesse Nevel in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2019. Ionov is said to have directed the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP), the Uhuru Movement, and the Black Hammer through the three indicted Russian nationals and the four American citizens.
The convictions come after several right-wing media figures were accused of being duped by Russians into receiving money to promote alleged pro-Russian content. However, unlike the four black socialists, the right-wing media commentators were reportedly unaware the money was tied to Russia in any way.
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