Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov accused of feeding the feds false information on the Biden family pleaded guilty to several federal charges.
Israeli-American Smirnov, 43, was secretly used for years by the FBI as a trusted Confidential Human Source. He was also central to the GOP‘s impeachment probe into Joe Biden, which died out in recent months.
But he allegedly lied about Biden family bribes had connections to the head of Russian assassinations and obtained information during parties on mega yachts and in expensive hotels.
Special Counsel David Weiss charged him earlier this year with lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden taking $5 million bribes from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
Smirnov was accused of making a false statement and creating a false records for statements he made to the FBI in 2020 related to Hunter Biden’s work on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings. He was facing a maximum of 25 years in prison.
He pleaded guilty on Thursday to four total charges including creating a false federal record and other tax-related counts.
His newly-struck deal could shave off a ton of jail time to just 48 to 72 months.
FBI informant Alexander Smirnov’s face is finally seen
Prosecutors had revealed that Smirnov had ‘extensive contacts’ with Russian intelligence operatives and obtained information on the Biden family through ritzy events on super yacht and in hotels.
Every time Smirnov appears in public he goes to great lengths to cover his face to avoid being recognized.
Photographs exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com over the summer showed him partying in Las Vegas, his city of residence before he was thrown in federal prison awaiting trial.
The mysterious informant has never been pictured in public without a mask.
But now DailyMail.com has obtained previously unpublished pictures of the man who told his FBI handler he was at meetings with a Ukrainian oligarch who bragged about bribing Joe Biden and his son Hunter with $10million.
The unmasked pictures, obtained by DailyMail.com from a source who has worked with Smirnov, show him flying business class with Lavrenyuk, taking a selfie while smoking a cigarette beside the Bellagio Fountain in Vegas, and attending a gala dinner with his girlfriend, who wore a red dress, furs, and a costume mask over her eyes.
Other undated photos show Smirnov dressed in a black suit, red rose boutonniere and gold chain, appearing sloppy with his eyes closed, at a Vegas hotel dinner table with Lavrenyuk posing by his side.
Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, left, walks out of his lawyer’s office in downtown Las Vegas after being released from federal custody Tuesday, Feb. 20
The unmasked pictures, obtained by DailyMail.com from a source who has worked with Alexander Smirnov, also show him flying business class with girlfriend Diana Lavrenyuk in 2018, when the two were returning to the US from Turkey
Smirnov and his girlfriend are pictured again during the same Vegas trip, posing around the dinner table
Smirnov was released from federal custody with conditions on Tuesday evening
Prosecutors had stated that Smirnov, an Israeli citizen, has ‘extensive foreign ties,’ and his contacts with Russian intelligence operatives was ‘not benign.’
The filing went on to say the ‘false information’ Smirnov passed on to the FBI from the Russian intelligence operatives was not ‘trivial’ because it ‘targeted the presumptive nominee of one of the two major political parties,’ referring to Joe Biden.
Prosecutors say his contacts were ‘extremely recent’ and he planned to meet with one official on his upcoming overseas travel.
Specifically, ‘Russian Official 1’ was disclosed by Smirnov to be the son of a ‘former high-ranking Russian government official,’ who ‘controls two groups of individuals tasked with carrying out assassination efforts in a third-party country.’
In addition, the official has been described to have ‘ties to a particular Russian intelligence service.’
According to the filing, ‘Russian Official 1 offered to stop the assassination efforts in exchange for certain things, including an agreement by “Country C” to stop targeting civilian family members of certain Russian officials living in Moscow.’
The official allegedly provided him with ‘specific information’ about Russia’s ‘military resources for a winter attack in Country C.’
They also told Smirnov about the Russian government’s ‘intentions for their war in Ukraine,’ according to the indictment.
‘Fake’ secret recordings of Hunter in a hotel he never visited in Ukraine
According to the filing, Smirnov wanted his Russian contacts to look into whether Businessperson 1 (Hunter Biden) was recorded in a hotel in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The hotel, the Premier Palace, was allegedly ‘wired’ and ‘under the control of Russians,’ according to Smirnov.
He claimed that Hunter went to the hotel ‘many times’ and that he had ‘seen video footage of Businessperson 1 entering the Premier Palace Hotel.’
However, investigators said they ‘know that Smirnov’s new story is false’ because Hunter never traveled to Ukraine.
‘Smirnov suggested that investigators check to see if Businessperson 1 made telephone calls from the Premier Palace Hotel since those calls would have been recorded by the Russians.’
He claimed that he obtained to have learned this information from ‘four different Russian officials.
He also said that the Russians ‘want Ukraine to assist in influencing the U.S. election,’ and the tapes of Hunter at the Premier Palace Hotel is ‘all they have.’
The hotel, the Premier Palace, was allegedly ‘wired’ and ‘under the control of Russians,’ according to Smirnov
The luxurious Premier Palace Hotel in Kyiv, Ukraine
Smirnov claimed that Hunter went to the hotel ‘many times’ and that he had ‘seen video footage of Businessperson 1 entering the Premier Palace Hotel’
Special Counsel David Weiss has charged a former FBI informant with lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden taking a $5million bribe from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma
Another contact ran an Russian intelligence operation at a hotel ‘club’
Another, ‘Russian Official 4,’ apparently ran an intelligence operation at a ‘club’ located at a particular hotel, according to Smirnov.
Smirnov told his FBI handler that the Russian Intelligence Service ‘intercepted cell phone calls made by guests at the hotel.’
‘The Russian Intelligence Service intercepted several calls placed by prominent U.S. persons the Russian government may use as “kompromat” in the 2024 election, depending on who the candidates will be,’ he continued.
Smirnov attended birthday party on mega yacht owned by Russian steel giant
According to the filing, in 2023 he was ‘invited to and planned to attend the birthday party of an identified individual in the Middle East, “Country A,” which would include activities on a mega yacht owned by a high-ranking member of Russia’s largest steel and mining company.’
Russian Official 1 was one of the individuals who also was expected to attend the birthday celebrations.
Another individual described as a ‘high-ranking member of a Russia state-owned defense conglomerate’ was planning to partake in the festivities.
Smirnov was ‘invited to and planned to attend the birthday party on a mega yacht owned by a high-ranking member of Russia’s largest steel and mining company
The filing went on to say the ‘false information’ Smirnov he provided was not ‘trivial’ because it ‘targeted the presumptive nominee of one of the two major political parties,’ referring to Joe Biden
Smirnov has $6 million in cash and could escape the U.S. with the help of his foreign contacts
Federal prosecutors had argued that Smirnov should be detained because his foreign contacts could ‘resettle Smirnov outside the United States if he were released’ and he has $6 million in ‘liquid funds’ – so he could live comfortably.
‘The effects of Smirnov’s false statements and fabricated information continue to be felt to this day. Now the personal stakes for Smirnov are even higher. His freedom is on the line,’ prosecutors state.
‘If he could not be trusted to report truthful information to his FBI Handler, he cannot be trusted to report truthful information to Pretrial Services.’
The charges against Smirnov could undercut Republican accusations of bribery and claims Biden was benefitting financial from his son’s business dealings in Ukraine.
In the Tuesday afternoon filing, prosecutors detailed how Smirnov ‘misrepresented’ his assets by failing to disclose the millions he has on hand.
He personally has access to more than $2.9 million and his ‘wife/girlfriend’ who pays his personal expenses out of her own account has the ability to get more than $3.8 million.
And based on his ‘weak ties’ to the community in Las Vegas, he cannot reasonably be believed to remain in the area if he were to be released, prosecutors continued.
‘Smirnov’s anticipated travel from the United States, on Friday of last week, two days after his return, was for the purpose of meeting with Russian intelligence officials, among others,’ prosecutors say.
But a federal judge allowed Smirnov to be released Tuesday evening following the hearing.
Smirnov did not answer questions from reporters as he departed from court.
Smirnov’s efforts to ‘spread misinformation’ about U.S. candidates continues
Special Counsel David Weiss warned that the former informant’s efforts to ‘spread misinformation about a candidate of one of the two major parties in the United States’ is still ongoing.
He wanted the court to consider this fact and his previous conduct when ‘evaluating his personal history and characteristics.’
‘What this shows is that the misinformation he is spreading is not confined to 2020.’
‘He is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November,’ prosecutors warn.
Burisma phone call about expanding business to the U.S.
According to court filings, Smirnov told the FBI in March 2017 he had a phone call with the owner of Burisma about the energy companies interest in acquiring a business in the United States.
In his telling of the conversation, Smirnov told the FBI that someone referred to as ‘Businessperson 1′ was on the board of Burisma and was also the son of an individual referred to as ‘Public Official 1.’
Businessperson 1 is reported to be Hunter Biden and Public Official 1 is likely Joe Biden himself, although they are not named in the indictment.
Prosecutors included pictures of business cards for ‘Burisma Official 2’ as well as officials ‘3 and 4’ that Smirnov allegedly messaged his handler in March and September 2017.
Prosecutors included pictures of business cards for ‘Burisma Official 2’ as well as officials ‘3 and 4’ that Smirnov allegedly messaged his handler
According to court documents, Smirnov told the FBI in March 2017 he had a phone call with the owner of Burisma about the energy companies interest in acquiring a business in the United States
Hunter Biden was appointed to the board of directors for Burisma Holdings
In 2020, Ukrainian authorities said they have intercepted a $6 million bribe attempt at dropping a criminal investigation against the head of the Burisma natural gas company where Joe Biden’s son once held a board seat
Three years later in June 2020, the indictment alleges Smirnov provided false information about Biden and Hunter after Biden became a presidential candidate.
At that time, Smirnov reported two meetings around 2015 and/or 2016.
It alleges Smirnov falsely claimed that during the meetings, executives associated with Burisma admitted to him that they hired Hunter to ‘protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems.’
He also claimed that they had specifically paid $5 million each to Biden and Hunter while Biden was still in office so that Hunter would ‘take care of all those issues through his dad,’ referring to a criminal investigation being conducted by the then-Ukrainian prosecutor general into Burisma.
According to the indictment, the events Smirnov reported in 2020 were a fabrication.
But Republicans have made the FD-1023 form in which Smirnov made the accusations central to their case to impeach the sitting president.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., attempted to downplay the indictment saying the informant was only part of a complex money trail involving the Bidens and foreigners they are working to unravel.
Smirnov is currently being held in a federal detention facility in Pahrump, Nevada
The charges against Smirnov undercut the Republicans’ accusations of bribery and claims Biden was benefitting financial from his son’s business dealings in Ukraine
The indictment states in fact, Smirnov had contact with executives from Burisma in 2017 after the end of the Obama-Biden Administration and after the then Ukrainian Prosecutor General had been fired in February 2016 when Biden had ‘no ability to influence U.S. policy and after the Ukrainian Prosecutor General had been fired in February 2016.’
The indictment alleges Smirnov transformed his routine business contacts with Burisma in 2017 and later into bribery allegations against Biden after expressing bias against Biden and his presidential candidacy.
When Smirnov was interviewed by the FBI in September 2023, the indictment alleges he repeated some of his false claims, changed his story with other claims, and ‘promoted a new false narrative after he said he met with Russian officials.’
House Republicans had seized on the FBI document alleging the $5 million bribe as part of their investigation into the president. The indictment undermines that key component in their case.
Following the indictment, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, D-MD, called on House Republicans to end their impeachment inquiry.
‘In a detailed indictment, Special Counsel David Weiss—who was appointed by former President Donald Trump—has demonstrated how key evidence at the heart of House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry is based on a lie,’ Rankin said in a statement.
But House Oversight Republicans vowed to move forward with their investigation saying in a post on X they have reasons to do so that do not rely on the ‘corrupt FBI or an informant.’
