The former head of counterintelligence for the FBI’s New York field office, Charles McGonigal, has pleaded guilty in Washington, DC, to charges related to concealing funds he received from a former Albanian intelligence employee and his foreign contacts with the individual. This guilty plea follows McGonigal’s previous guilty plea in New York on charges of conspiring to violate US sanctions on Russia.
According to prosecutors, McGonigal worked to further the interests of the former foreign intelligence employee, who is now a naturalized US citizen from New Jersey. The individual allegedly gave McGonigal at least $225,000 in 2017. McGonigal claimed that the money was a loan for a consulting firm they planned to start together after his retirement from the FBI. However, it was revealed that there were no terms to the loan, and he never repaid it.
During his tenure at the FBI, McGonigal and the individual traveled to Albania multiple times, meeting with the country’s prime minister. McGonigal advocated for his friend’s financial interests in oil field drilling contracts during these trips, without disclosing them to the FBI. McGonigal admitted that he was aware of the prohibition on engaging in personal business while working for the FBI and expressed apologies to the bureau and his wife.
The statement of facts also revealed that the FBI initiated an investigation into a US citizen who was lobbying for a political party in Albania, partly based on information provided by McGonigal. McGonigal’s potential business partner, acting as a confidential human source, and a foreign Albanian contact facilitated meetings between witnesses in Europe and the FBI, including covering their travel expenses.
McGonigal is scheduled to be sentenced in February and could face a maximum of five years in prison, although the actual sentence may be less severe.