A federal grand jury has charged three St. Louis residents with illegally pushing pro-Russian propaganda and misinformation about Ukraine and sowing discord across Missouri, Georgia and Florida through the African People’s Socialist Party.
The indictment alleges that African People's Socialist Party Chairman Omali Yeshitela and members Penny Joanne Hess and Jesse Nevel acted as illegal agents of the Russian government without notifying the U.S. attorney general. They each face up to 10 years in prison for that charge. They also face up to five years in prison for conspiring to have U.S. citizens act as illegal agents.
The indictment alleges Russian national Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov founded the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, a Moscow-based organization run by the Russian government, to promote pro-Russian propaganda and create influence campaigns among political groups across the country, including the African People’s Socialist Party. It also alleges Ionov tried to promote the Russian invasion of Ukraine with pro-Russian talking points. It says that Ionov would appear on video calls hosted by the party in which he likened support to Ukraine to supporting Nazis and that Yeshitela made statements supporting Russia.
“Russia’s foreign intelligence service allegedly weaponized our First Amendment rights — freedoms Russia denies its own citizens — to divide Americans and interfere in elections in the United States,” Justice Department’s National Security Division Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said in a statement.
Yeshitela said in a statement that on the advice of his attorney, he could not comment on the indictment. "However, I am looking forward to my day in court," he said.
The indictment comes several months after the FBI raided the party’s Uhuru Center in south St. Louis. Agents raided the party’s St. Petersburg office as well. Yeshitela said at the time that his organization had never taken money from the Russian government.
The Uhuru Center drew attention last year after it had raised money for projects across the city, including nearly $130,000 from GoFundMe for the basketball court in the Fairground neighborhood. Yeshitela also founded the Uhuru Solidarity Movement, an anti-colonialist organization, and led a march for reparations in cities across the country in 2021.
In an interview with St. Louis on the Air last year, Yeshitela addressed the raid and acknowledged visiting Russia in the past but denied taking money from the Russian government.
