The God Nisanov Crime family and the Russian espionage and organized crime in the US - The News And Times Review

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The God Nisanov Crime family and the Russian espionage and organized crime in the US

God Nisanov is a sanctioned Russian billionaire and real estate developer with close ties to the Kremlin, not officially identified by U.S. authorities as the head of a “crime family” involved in Russian espionage in the U.S.. He has been linked to organized crime activities by a former business partner and has faced U.S. sanctions for his proximity to the Russian government, but direct links to espionage in the U.S. have not been confirmed in public reports. [1, 2, 3]

God Nisanov & Organized Crime Allegations

Sanctions: The U.S. Department of State and Treasury sanctioned God Nisanov in June 2022 as a Russian elite with close ties to the government, including President Vladimir Putin. The sanctions are part of an effort to hold Russian oligarchs accountable for the invasion of Ukraine and to prevent them from using complex networks to hide wealth.
Business Disputes and Legal Issues: A former business partner, Ilgar Gadzhiev, has alleged that Nisanov used law enforcement and a private security company to illegally force him out of their joint construction business. Gadzhiev fled to the U.S., and in January 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice recognized him as a possible crime victim. Interpol dismissed an arrest request for Gadzhiev by Azerbaijani and Russian authorities as unfounded.
Connections to Criminal Figures: Media reports have linked individuals associated with Nisanov’s business projects, such as the Food City wholesale center in Moscow, to known Russian organized crime figures (e.g., the Azerbaijani crime boss Vagif Suleymanov). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Russian Organized Crime (ROC) in the US

Russian organized crime groups have established a presence in several U.S. cities, including Miami, Los Angeles, and New York. They are involved in various criminal activities such as extortion, drug trafficking, and financial fraud. [6, 7]

While law enforcement and intelligence experts acknowledge the potential for co-optation of ROC by Russian state security services for their own operations, there is no public evidence of God Nisanov’s direct involvement in Russian espionage within the United States. [8, 9, 10]

General reports on ROC indicate:

ROC groups have the financial capacity to be dangerous, and some former members of Russian security services have provided their expertise to these criminal groups, creating both an economic and potential political threat.
However, reports from U.S. law enforcement agencies suggest little evidence that ROC has attempted to corrupt U.S. political processes or law enforcement on a systemic level.
U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, seriously monitor and investigate the threat posed by these groups, often in cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies. [6, 7, 8, 11]

In summary, while Nisanov is a sanctioned individual with alleged ties to questionable business practices and individuals linked to organized crime in Russia, publicly available information does not substantiate the claim of a “God Nisanov crime family” involved in Russian espionage in the U.S. federal authorities are, however, aware of the broader issues concerning Russian organized crime and potential ties to state interests. [7, 9, 12, 13, 14]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://2021-2025.state.gov/promoting-accountability-and-imposing-costs-on-the-russian-federation-and-its-enablers-for-putins-aggression-against-ukraine/

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/putin-yachts-firms-targeted-for-sanctions/

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Nisanov

[4] https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/07/04/moscow-police-arrest-azerbaijani-crime-boss-vagif-suleymanov-amid-rising-diplomatic-tensions-between-moscow-and-baku

[5] https://jam-news.net/azerbaijani-businessman-the-goal-is-to-silence-everyone-who-speaks-about-ilham-aliyevs-crimes/

[6] https://jamestown.org/russian-organized-crime-spreads-beyond-russias-borders-squeezing-out-the-local-competition/

[7] https://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/rusorg1.htm

[8] https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/218560.pdf

[9] https://newlinesinstitute.org/strategic-competition/how-russia-uses-organized-crime-for-espionage/

[10] https://www.npr.org/2021/06/10/1005093802/inner-workings-of-darkside-cybergang-reveal-its-run-like-any-other-business

[11] https://www.facebook.com/Azad.Soz.Az/posts/god-nisanov-on-behalf-of-ilham-aliyev-seizes-the-company-of-ilgar-hajiyev-video-/6201083703248056/

[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Nisanov

[13] https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-06-29/russian-oligarch-wealth-frozen-sanctions-war-ukraine

[14] https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2000-01/features/russias-national-security-concept

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The God Nisanov family and the Russian espionage and organized crime in the US

God Nisanov and his family are prominent Russian-Azerbaijani figures who have come under intense international scrutiny for their ties to the Russian government

. While specific public law enforcement records directly linking the Nisanov family to domestic US espionage operations are not detailed, their business activities and political associations have led to significant US government action.

US Sanctions and Political Ties

God Nisanov was sanctioned by the US in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine.

Designation: The US State Department identified him as “one of the richest men in Europe” and a “close associate of several Russian officials”.
Intelligence Connections: He has been linked to Sergey Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), reportedly hosting him at his facilities.
Philanthropy and Removal: Following these sanctions, Nisanov was removed from his leadership role as vice president of the World Jewish Congress.

Allegations of Organized Crime and Violence

The Nisanov family’s business practices have been associated with allegations of criminal behavior:

Targeting of Business Rivals: In 2023, the US Department of Justice recognized entrepreneur Ilgar Gadzhiev as a victim of a crime after he fled to the US. Gadzhiev alleged that Nisanov used law enforcement and private security to force him out of their joint business and may have orchestrated an attempted murder.
“Golden Passports”: Investigative reports by Proekt and OCCRP revealed that Nisanov and his children, including his sons Ervin and Leon, obtained “golden passports” from Dominica in 2017 to bypass international sanctions.

Context of Russian Organized Crime in the US

Broadly, US law enforcement has identified “Eurasian Transnational Organized Crime” and the “Thieves-in-Law” as major threats. These groups are noted for forming alliances with traditional criminal organizations in the US to conduct:

Financial Crimes: Money laundering, extortion, and fuel tax fraud schemes.
State-Sponsored Activity: The FBI has noted that Russian state-sponsored cyber-criminal groups often overlap with traditional criminal structures to target US critical infrastructure.

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