(BOULDER, Colo.) — Last September, Ryan Christoff found his then 16-year-old daughter barely breathing in their home near Boulder, Colorado.
Little did he know at the time, but his daughter was suffering from an overdose. She had taken a half of a Percocet pill given to her by her then boyfriend not knowing that it was laced with Fentanyl – a synthetic opioid used to treat severe pain and is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin.
“I’m bored in my room,” said Sofia Christoff, who said she had found some “powder” substance. “I crushed it up, took a line. Felt kind of sparkly for two seconds and then I woke up in the hospital.”
Ryan Christoff said he had known that his daughter “smoked a little weed” occasionally, but had no idea that the sophomore had actually been secretly experimenting with a long list of drugs.
“Cocaine, Xanax, Ketamine once. Acid, Shrooms, Adderall,” said Sofia Christoff. “So just pills. Just like everything I could get my hands on.”
During that year, she was suspended from school and her grades fell.
“I felt stupid that I should have known,” said Ryan Christoff. “I just didn’t think she was doing that.”
Sergeant David Cohen of the Lafayette Colorado Police Department was in the vicinity when the frantic 9-1-1 call came in from Sofia Christoff’s father.
Cohen arrived on the scene in minutes as the 9-1-1 dispatcher and started chest compressions. He quickly administered Narcan to an unconscious and barely breating Sofia Christofff. Within seconds, she began gasping for air, according to Cohen. She was taken to the hospital, but was released only hours later.
Cohen said he used his training and experience to recognize the situation.
“I mean, I don’t know if it ever became clear to me until I administered Narcan, and it worked,” said Cohen, who said he also noticed “miscellaneous drug paraphernalia” in the bedroom.
On that day, Sofia Christoff survived. Others who have experienced Fentanyl-linked drug overdoses have not been as lucky.
“I get daily reports of suspected individuals who have passed away as a result of Fentanyl overdoses,” said Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen.
Pazen said bringing awareness to the issue is key.
“Folks think that this might be something else that they’re ingesting. So bringing awareness to this issue that that pill may not be Percocet. That pill may not be Xanax. That that pill may contain Fentanyl and potentially could be deadly is critical.”
Deaths linked to synthetic opioids like Fentanyl have nearly doubled over the past two years, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Additional CDC data revealed that of the more than 100,000 people who died from drug overdoses in a 12 month period ending in October 2021, nearly two-thirds of those deaths are linked to synthetic opioids like Fentanyl.
Fentanyl is cheap to produce and extremely potent, so it is sometimes mixed into other illicit drugs heroin, meth and cocaine and other pain pills like Percocet, Xanax, Vicodin and Oxycontin and can create a lethal combination, according to Pazen.
“It’s so cheap, it’s so easy to move, it’s so addictive for the end user,” Pazen said. “We are going to need everybody coming together as a country, as a state, federal, state, local law enforcement.”
In March, Colorado’s House of Representatives introduced a bill to enact stiffer criminal penalties on those involved with the sale and distribution of Fentanyl.
For Sofia Christoff, she said that buying drugs is as easy as sending the right emoji to a “plug,” a drug dealer who often finds customers on apps like Snapchat.
“I’m looking for a little plug emoji or like a fire emoji or you’re just whatever emoji the normal dealers have,” said Christoff.
“If you know where to go, it’s really easy,” she added.
The use of emojis to connect with drug dealers is not unique to Colorado, but now so common across the country that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency released a cheat sheet for parents and guardians to raise awareness of the emojis commonly used to buy drugs on social media.
“I cannot emphasize enough how deadly this drug is to human life, especially to unsuspecting youth in our community,” said Tatum King, a Homeland Security investigator. “These pills are widely available and often sold for dollars apiece on social media.”
On April 1, Snapchat issued a statement that detailed their efforts to flush out drug-related content and announced steps to curb illegal activity, saying they have “zero tolerance” for the promotion of illegal drugs on its platform.
Sofia Christoff said she carries the weight of her near-death experience everyday.
“’I’m the one that came back like, why me? So I’m just trying to have the mindset that I’m here, and I was a lucky one, and I gotta make it worth it,” said Christoff.
Sofia Christoff is now enjoying her junior year of high school and said she’s looking forward to being back on the field with her softball team next season. Her father is now on a mission to educate other teens and parents on the dangers of drug use and carries Narcan wherever he goes.
“I would want people to see that it can happen to even someone like Sofia, to even their daughter, to even their son,” he said. “Even [to] people you think you know it is the least likely to happen to, it can happen.”
Last month, Ryan Christoff and his now 17-year-old daughter visited the Lafayette Police Department to meet Sergeant David Cohen again, six months after his quick actions saved a life. After both giving him giant hugs of gratitude, Ryan Christoff gave the officer a framed picture of his daughter saying, “that’s her celebrating her birthday which she was only able to experience because of you.”
The Weeknd is heading to Coachella with his “Moth to a Flame” collaborators Swedish House Mafia, taking over for Kanye West, who bowed out on Monday. The music festival unveiled its new lineup Wednesday. The Weeknd will take over the Sunday night performances on April 17 and 24. Harry Styles is also a headliner.
Gwen Stefani says she is “so into” her marriage with Blake Shelton, telling Ellen DeGeneres on her show, “He’s my best friend. He’s so much fun.” She explained Blake wasn’t at the taping because he’s “literally on the tractor right now turning dirt for me.” The “Sweet Escape” singer revealed she’s “planting seeds” in her garden soon, which includes daffodils, tulips, zinnias, wildflowers and more.
Taylor Swift‘s fans want so badly to see her speak and earn her doctorate from New York University, they’re bribing NYU students for their graduation tickets. The student-run blog, The Click, claims some fans are saying they’ll pay $500 a pop. NYU has now barred the sale of graduation tickets, saying students caught breaking the rules will face disciplinary measures, including “delayed issuance of a degree or diploma.”
Speaking of Taylor, pal Camila Cabello called her an “emo queen.” Camila revealed to U.K.’s Hits Radio the artists that took over her playlist, saying she loves “getting in my feels.” The “Bam Bam” singer added she would “love to collab” with Taylor.
Lady Gaga isn’t one to clap back at fans, but she felt this comment warranted a correction. When reminiscing about winning her first Grammy for “Poker Face,” a fan commented, “I miss the person in the picture so much” — a reference to Gaga’s pop era. The House of Gucci star wrote back, along with an upside down smiling emoji, “I’m still here. See you at the Chromatica ball.”
Billie Eilish wasn’t bummed that Happier Than Ever missed out on the Album of the Year Grammy, says winner Jon Batiste. He told Stephen Colbert that, prior to his album We Are being announced as the category’s winner on Sunday, Billie and her brother FINNEAS turned around in their seats and told him, “We really hope you win this one.”
Lady Gaga isn’t one to clap back at fans, but she felt this comment warranted a correction. When reminiscing about winning her first Grammy for “Poker Face,” a fan commented, “I miss the person in the picture so much” — a reference to Gaga’s pop era. The House of Gucci star wrote back, along with an upside down smiling emoji, “I’m still here. See you at the Chromatica ball.”
Gwen Stefani says she is “so into” her marriage with Blake Shelton, telling Ellen DeGenereson her show, “He’s my best friend. He’s so much fun.” She explained Blake wasn’t at the taping because he’s “literally on the tractor right now turning dirt for me.” The “Sweet Escape” singer revealed she’s “planting seeds” in her garden soon, which includes daffodils, tulips, zinnias, wildflowers and more.
Taylor Swift‘s fans are so desperate to see her speak and earn her doctorate from New York University, they’re practically bribing NYU students for their graduation tickets. The student-run blog, The Click, claims some fans are saying they’ll pay $500 a pop. NYU has now barred the sale of graduation tickets, saying students caught breaking the rules will face disciplinary measures, including “delayed issuance of a degree or diploma.”
Speaking of Taylor, pal Camila Cabello called her an “emo queen.” Camila revealed to U.K.’s Hits Radio the artists that took over her playlist, saying she loves “getting in my feels.” The “Bam Bam” singer added she would “love to collab” with Taylor.
—Tory Lanez posted $350,000 bail on Tuesday, after he was taken into custody for violating a protective order against Megan Thee Stallion, per a Los Angeles judge.
Lanez, 29, appeared in court regarding the felony assault case in which the rapper is accused of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in her foot during a 2020 altercation. Lanez is said to have violated the order by allegedly sharing discovery in the case and addressing Megan on social media.
Only a few went hours went by, after it was reported that Lanez was arrested, before the rapper was seen getting into a Lamborghini and telling a court reporter he feels “amazing.”
—Russell Wilson revealed the details about his first date with now-wife Ciara.
The football star recently appeared on Kevin Hart‘s Laugh Out Loud Radio show, where he let the hosts in on the conversation that changed his relationship status from single to taken.
Recalling the unforgettable moment he said, “First day we met – and we had been talking for two-and-a-half hours, hanging out – she saw [my old] wallet, sitting on the table. She said, ‘What the hell is that? You’re losing with that.'”
His response, putting his finger up and saying, “First of all, with me, you’re never losing,” turned out to be one she clearly appreciated. The two tied the knot in 2016 and are raising three children together.
—Kanye West‘s name can’t seem to stay off the internet blogs — this time there’s something to celebrate!
The 24-time Grammy-winner landed spot number 1513 on Forbes World’s Billionaire List, as his net worth increased to $2 billion according to the business magazine.
His Yeezy sneaker brand, Gap & Balenciaga partnerships and stake in Kim Kardashian‘s shape wear brand Skims, all contribute to the rapper’s income.
Douglas Trumbull, the Oscar winner who revolutionized cinematic visual effects, and who passed away February 7, will be joining some other science fiction film legends for one final mission to space.
The company Celestis announced that some of Trumbull’s remains will join those of Star Trek‘s James “Scotty” Doohan, and Star Trek creator, Gene Roddenberry, and his wife, former Star Trek actress Majel Barrett Roddenberry.
They will depart on Celestis’ first ever deep space Voyager mission aboard United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Rocket that will be launched later this year from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Trumbull’s expertise helped the Trek crew reach space onscreen, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He also inspired and trained artists who worked on Star Wars and countless other films.
“From his youth, throughout all of his life, Douglas was fascinated and in awe of the stars, planets, space and beyond,” said Julia Trumbull, his widow. “The mysteries of the universe, its beauty, grace and power inspired his imagination, his work and his life. I can think of no greater honor and fitting adventure for Douglas to join his Star Trek friends on this final voyage on the Enterprise flight into deep space.”
According to the company, “The Celestis Enterprise Flight will launch from planet Earth and travel beyond the Earth-Moon system, beyond the James Webb telescope, and into interplanetary deep space — where it will join the other planets, moons, comets, and asteroids in our solar system on a never-ending journey through the cosmos.”
John Phillips/Disasters Emergency Committee/Getty Images for Livewire Pictures Ltd
Camila Cabello has never been one to hold back, and she definitely doesn’t in a new interview with U.K.’s Hits Radio.
In a round of “Answering the Internet,” Camila responds to random questions or comments that people have asked about her or made about her on Twitter. Asked to name the most surreal place she’s been recognized, Camila admits, “I think there was a picture of me at a sex toy shop once, and I was just, like, getting a vibrator.”
She laughs, “There was a picture, and I was like, ‘That’s a weird place for people to be like, ‘Is that the singer?'”
When another fan asks her about her notorious “nip slip” on BBC’s The One Show — in which she briefly exposed her breast while showing off her favorite dance move — Camila replied, “I really don’t care about my nip slip…I’ve purposely nip-slipped before. Publicly! Have you ever been topless, ladies, in the ocean? It feels amazing and I hate that they deprive us of that!”
Asked to name the first thing she does in the morning, Camila says bluntly, “On a day when I’m not working and I can sleep late…I’ll just get up and pee.”
Finally, asked what she and her pals Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift talk about when they’re hanging out, Camila laughed, “We’ve hung out together, like, two times and we were all very drunk. I don’t remember what we talked about!”
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Washington, D.C. venue Bliss nightclub issued an apology earlier this week, after receiving backlash for hosting a home-going event for a dead rapper — with his corpse on full display.
Public outcry broke out after photos and videos of 24-year-old Maryland rapper Goonew, born Markelle Marrow, circulated online, with the rapper reportedly propped upright on stage, fully clothed and wearing a crown on his head, according to ABC affiliate WJLA.
In a statement posted on Twitter, club management claimed to have been aware of the home-going celebration but not of “what would transpire.”
The Twitter apology reads in full: “Our deepest condolences to Goonew’s family, friends and fans. Bliss was contacted by a local funeral home to rent out our venue for Goonew’s home-going celebration. Bliss was never made aware of what would transpire. We sincerely apologize to all those who may be upset or offended. Please keep Goonew’s family and friends in your prayers at this difficult time.”
Rapper 50 cent was among many who was stunned by the footage. “oh s*** ! i just realized what this is,” he said. Another Twitter user wrote, “the way my heart DROPPED when i realized that he’s actually NOT alive, & NOT holding his body up on his own…”
What may come as a surprise to some is the alleged response by the family, as reported by TMZ, who say the decision to bring the rapper’s dead body to the club is “what he would have wanted.”
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Netflix’s upcoming ‘Netflix Is a Joke’ comedy festival kicks off on April 28, and the streaming service has just announced new shows from top talent as the event gets closer.
The festival, which runs through May 8 across more than 25 Los Angeles venues, has just announced John Mulaney will present John Mulaney: From Scratch, with special guest Earthquake, at the Hollywood Bowl May 7.
Snoop Dogg will host Snoop Dogg’s F*cn Around Comedy Special May 5 at the Hollywood Palladium. The night of legendary Black comedians that includes Katt Williams, Mike Epps, and more will be shot for a forthcoming Netflix special.
Additionally, Billy on the Street veteran Billy Eichner will topline Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration at the Greek Theatre. The show will feature comedy from Wanda Sykes, Eddie Izzard, Fortune Feimster and more, and will run on Netflix at a later date.
What’s more, comedian Bill Burr‘s “joke filled hang” called Bill Burr & Friends, will be shot at the Hollywood Palladium on May 4, and Sebastian Maniscalco‘s Nobody Does This tour will swing by the Wiltern on May 1 as part of the festival.
All told, more than 130 comedians will be doing their thing at the festival, as previously reported, including Amy Schumer, who stops by the Hollywood Palladium May 6. Chris Rock will also take the mic during the festival, but his dates and venue have yet to be announced.
Here’s hoping their gigs go more smoothly than the last time Schumer and Rock shared a bill.
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Police say at least five men were involved in last weekend’s mass shooting that left six people dead and a dozen injured.
Investigators said Wednesday that number could grow as they piece together clues.
The police said in a statement that it “is increasingly clear that gang violence is at the center of this tragedy.”
“While we cannot at this time elaborate on the precise gang affiliation of individuals involved, gangs and gang violence are inseparable from the events that drove these shootings,” the police said in a statement.
A fight broke out before gunfire went off in downtown Sacramento early Sunday morning, police said.
The victims were identified by the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office on Monday as Johntaya Alexander, 21; Melinda Davis, 57; Sergio Harris, 38; Joshua Hoye-Lucchesi, 32; Yamile Martinez-Andrade, 21; and Devazia Turner, 29.
Two suspects, Smiley Martin, 27, and his brother, Dandrae Martin, 26, have been arrested in connection with the shooting. Smiley Martin was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a machine gun. while the younger Martin was charged with assault and possession of an illegal firearm, police said. Smiley Martin has a long criminal history and was just released from prison in January.
A third person, Daviyonne Dawson, 31, was arrested for possession of a firearm following the incident, but he is not believed to be directly related to the shooting.
The Sacramento police said it has received nearly 200 videos, photographs and other pieces of evidence from the public.
“The suffering inflicted by gang violence does not limit itself to gang members. It spills over to claim and shatter innocent lives and harm our entire community,” Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said in a statement.
(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with troops crossing the border from Belarus and Russia. Moscow’s forces have since been met with “stiff resistance” from Ukrainians, according to U.S. officials.
Russian forces retreated last week from the Kyiv suburbs, leaving behind a trail of destruction. After graphic images emerged of civilians lying dead in the streets of Bucha, U.S. and European officials accused Russian troops of committing war crimes.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Apr 06, 4:37 pm
White House will focus on mitigating cost on Americans: Psaki
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told ABC News Wednesday that the administration is focused on mitigating the war’s cost for the American people, including by releasing restricted petroleum reserves.
She said the administration will “take steps to reduce the impact on the American people over time.”
Psaki was also asked by ABC News if the rate of financial assistance the U.S. has provided to Ukraine is sustainable for a long-term war.
Psaki acknowledged that with Putin consolidating his troops, “We’re entering a new phase of the conflict that could last for some time.”
“It doesn’t mean it will look exactly the same or the needs or the resources will be exactly the same, and that is something we will continue to assess in our conversations with the Ukrainians, as well as with our allies and partners around the world,” she added.
Psaki noted that the administration’s current goal is to continue to amp up military and humanitarian aid.
“There will be different needs that will come about over the course of time,” she said. “And that’s something we are of course committed to continuing to support their recovery from this their continued fight from this, but I can’t make an assessment about sustaining because obviously this war, and the needs, will change over the course of time”
-ABC News’ Armando Tonatiuh Torres-García, Mary Bruce
Apr 06, 4:20 pm
UN special adviser on genocide warns war is worsening tensions elsewhere
Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the United Nations’ special adviser for the prevention of genocide, said the scenes of dead civilians in the Ukrainian city of Bucha indicate “hundreds of victims [were] deliberately targeted, which point to very serious signs of possible commission of war crimes.”
Wairimu Nderitu in a statement said Russia’s war is exacerbating existing tensions elsewhere, particularly in the western Balkans, where Bosnian Muslims were killed in the Srebrenica genocide less than 30 years ago.
“In the last six weeks, the conflict in Ukraine has deteriorated some of these dynamics,” she said. “Open vindication of violence against members of one national group, appeal to religion as a source of legitimacy for violence, or alignment of national pursuits to the cause of warrying parties in the Ukraine conflict do not only constitutes symptoms of insufficient healing in a region where conflict was present — they are also signs that the risk of recurrence is real and serious.”
Tensions in Bosnia were increasing long before the war, despite efforts from a U.S.-brokered peace deal to patch up the wounds of war and genocide. Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has threatened to tear apart the country’s ethnically-divided federal institutions and the country itself, which has brought him under tighter U.S. sanctions.
Along with protests from Peru to Sri Lanka over fuel and food prices, and humanitarian crises in Yemen and Afghanistan with funding and food aid drying up, it’s another reminder of how Russia’s war is sending shockwaves around the world.
-ABC News’ Conor Finnegan
Apr 06, 2:15 pm
Biden addresses Bucha in-depth for 1st time, calling it ‘major war crimes’
President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke in-depth for the first time about the horrific images of civilian deaths in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.
“I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures from Bucha and just outside of Kyiv, bodies left in streets as Russian troops withdrew. Some shot … with their hands tied behind their backs. Civilians executed in cold blood,” Biden said at the North America’s Building Trade Union legislative conference in Washington, D.C.
“Bodies dumped into mass graves… There is nothing less happening than major war crimes,” he said.
Biden called on responsible nations to “come together to hold these perpetrators accountable.”
“The steps we’re already taken are predicted to shrink Russia’s gross domestic product by double-digits this year alone. Just in one year, our sanctions are likely to wipe out the last 15 years of Russia’s economic gains and because we’ve cut Russia off from important technologies like semiconductors and encryption security and critical components of quantum technology that they need to compete in the 21st century. We’re going to stifle Russia’s ability in its economy to grow for years to come,” Biden said.
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Apr 06, 1:43 pm
All Russian troops have left Kyiv and Chernihiv: US official
All Russian troops have left the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv, withdrawing north toward the borders of Belarus and Russia to consolidate before likely redeploying to the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official told reporters Wednesday.
But even with the Russians gone, the territory remains treacherous.
“There are some indications that they left behind mines and things like that, so the Ukrainians are being somewhat careful in some areas north of Kyiv as they begin to clear the ground and clear the territory and re-occupy it,” the official said.
While the U.S. hasn’t yet seen these troops redeploy elsewhere in Ukraine, it’ll likely happen soon, according to the official. Ukrainian forces are preparing for a major fight in Donbas, the official said.
The official also said the Pentagon is “monitoring” an apparent nitric acid explosion in Ukraine’s Luhansk region, which Russia blamed on Ukraine.
“We’ve seen the Russians claim that this was a Ukrainian attack on this. We do not believe that is true,” the official said. “We do believe that the Russians are responsible, but exactly what they used when they did it, why they did it, what the damage is, we just don’t have that level of detail,” the official said.
The official also noted that a small number of Ukrainians currently in the U.S. for “professional military education” were pulled aside for a couple days of training on Switchblade drones, which the U.S. is sending overseas as part of its military aid, according to the official.
“Although it’s not a very difficult system to operate, we took advantage of having them in the country to give them some rudimentary training on that,” the official said.
-ABC News’ Matt Seyler
Apr 06, 1:03 pm
Yellen says goal of sanctions is to ‘impose maximum pain on Russia’ while shielding allies from economic harm
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testified before the House Committee on Financial Services that the Treasury would continue to take steps to prevent Russia from participating in the international financial system.
“Russia’s actions, including the atrocities committed against innocent Ukrainians in Bucha, are reprehensible, represent an unacceptable affront the rules based global order and will have enormous economic repercussions in Ukraine and beyond,” she said.
Yellen said the International Monetary Fund and World Bank have assisted Ukraine, allowing the country “fiscal space to pay salaries for civilians, soldiers, doctors and nurses.”
Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., asked Yellen why the U.S. continues to provide licenses that permit certain bank transactions related to Russian energy despite a ban on Russian oil imports. Yellen said that although the sanctions aim to cripple Russia’s economy, some of the U.S.’s European allies are still dependent on Russian gas.
“Our goal from the outset has been to impose maximum pain on Russia while, to the best of our ability, shielding the United States and our partners of undue economic harm,” she said. “Unfortunately, many of our European partners remain heavily dependent on Russian natural gas as well as oil.”
-ABC News’ Armando Tonatiuh Torres-García
Apr 06, 12:05 pm
Human Rights Watch racing to document war crimes
Hugh Williamson, director of the Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division, wrote in an OpEd in the Telegraph that the HRW is racing to document war crimes in Ukraine.
Williamson said one apparent war crime was when seven Ukrainian civilians were allegedly executed by Russian soldiers.
Regarding the images of civilian bodies in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, Williamson said they’re concerned many of the deaths may be the result of war crimes, but “it’s too early to say for certain now, and legal proceedings are still at a nascent stage.”
This comes as a spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs doubled down on Russian claims that civilian killings in Bucha were staged.
“On April 3, the world witnessed another crime by the Ukrainian authorities, this time in the town of Bucha, where a criminal false flag operation [showing] the alleged killing of civilians by Russian troops had been staged,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Wednesday according to state-run TASS. Zakharova claimed that when Bucha was controlled by the Russian Armed Forces, not a single local resident was affected by acts of violence.
-ABC News’ Christine Theodorou
Apr 06, 11:25 am
New US sanctions target Putin’s children, largest Russian bank
New U.S. sanctions are targeting “the key architects of the war” and their family members, including Russian President Vladimir Putin’s adult children, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s wife and daughter and members of Russia’s security council, a senior administration official told reporters.
“We believe that many of Putin’s assets are hidden with family members and that’s why we’re targeting them,” the official said.
The new sanctions are also the most severe sanctions yet on Russia’s largest private bank, Alfa Bank, and its largest financial institution, Sherbank, the official said.
This will “generate a financial shock” to Russia’s economy,” the official said. “[Sherbank] holds nearly one-third of Russia’s total banking sector assets. That’s over $500 billion. That’s roughly twice the size of the second largest Russian bank, which we previously fully blocked. And in total, we’ve now fully blocked more than two thirds of the Russian banking sector, which before the invasion held about $1.4 trillion in assets.”
The official warned that “Russia will very likely lose its status as a major economy.”
The official noted how these sanctions will hurt everyday Russians.
“It means their debit cards may not work. They may only have the option to buy knockoff phones and knockoff clothes. The shelves at stores may be empty. The reality is the country’s descending into economic and financial and technological isolation. And at this rate, it will go back to Soviet style living standards from the 1980s,” the official said.
Apr 06, 11:14 am
DOJ charges Russian oligarch with sanctions violations, announces disruption of global botnet
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it has charged Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev with sanctions violations, alleging Malofeyev was one of the main sources of financing for Russians promoting separatism in Crimea and for providing material support for the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic.
These actions are part of the KleptoCapture Task force, which is a Justice Department task force established last month aimed at seizing Russian oligarch assets from around the country.
“After being sanctioned by the United States, Malofeyev attempted to evade the sanctions by using co-conspirators to surreptitiously acquire and run media outlets across Europe,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters. “We are also announcing the seizure of millions of dollars from an account at a U.S. financial institution, which the indictment alleges constitutes proceeds traceable to Malofeyev’s sanctions violations.”
One of Malofeyev’s co-conspirators, according to the DOJ, is former U.S. TV producer Jack Hanick, who was arrested last month in the United Kingdom, where he had been living for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions stemming from Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
The Justice Department also on Wednesday announced the disruption of a global botnet run by the GRU, Russia’s Chief Intelligence Office. FBI Director Christopher Wray told reporters the team behind the global botnet was responsible for some of the most infectious cyberattacks in recent memory, including the cyberattacks against the Winter Olympics in 2018, attacks on Ukrainian power grid in 2015 and the attack on the country of Georgia in 2019.
The Justice Department seized a yacht that belongs to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg in Marina Real in the Spanish port of Palma de Mallorca, according to court documents unsealed Monday.
In addition to the seizure of Vekselberg’s yacht, U.S. authorities also obtained seizure warrants unsealed in Washington, D.C., Monday that target roughly $625,000 associated with sanctioned parties at nine U.S. financial institutions, the Justice Department said.
At the news conference, Garland also expressed outrage over the images of civilian bodies in Ukraine.
“We have seen the dead bodies of civilians, some with bound hands, scattered in the streets. We have seen the mass graves. We have seen the bombed hospital, theater, and residential apartment buildings. The world sees what is happening in Ukraine. The Justice Department sees what is happening in Ukraine,” Garland said.
Garland said the DOJ is in the “collection of evidence” stage of any war crime prosecution.
-ABC News’ Alex Mallin, Luke Barr
Apr 06, 11:12 am
School-turned-shelter attacked in Donetsk region, governor says
A school-turned-shelter in eastern Ukraine’s war-torn Donetsk region came under attack on Wednesday, according to Donetsk Oblast Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Kyrylenko released images showing several wounded people lying on the ground among debris outside the school, which is currently being used as a humanitarian aid center. First responders were seen helping the victims. Another image showed the inside of a classroom that was damaged during the attack, with the windows shattered and some desks broken.
ABC News’ Visual Verification team confirmed that the photos were taken at a school in Vugledar, a small village about 40 miles from Donetsk city.
-ABC News’ Fergal Gallagher
Apr 06, 11:00 am
UN vote scheduled for Thursday to suspend Russia from UN Human Rights Council
The U.N. General Assembly has scheduled a Thursday vote on suspending Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council.
A two-thirds majority is needed to suspend Russia, which would become only the second country to face this censure after Libya was suspended in 2011 for Muammar Gaddafi’s forces firing on protesters.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Tuesday that she “know[s] we’re going to get” the two-thirds majority, pointing to two previous U.N. General Assembly resolutions that passed with 141 and 140 votes each.
