LONDON
\nFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in Los Angeles are investigating a fraudster and fake agent of CIA, Gaurav Srivastava, who is facing criminal allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and falsely representing himself as a US federal official and US citizen, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has revealed.
\nIn an investigation, senior WSJ reporter Joe Wallace wrote in an article \u201cA Fake Spy, Russian Oil and $1 Million Funneled to Democrats\u201d that Gaurav Srivastava, an Indian businessman now infamous for his \u2018fake CIA agent\u2019 scam, is under scrutiny for hijacking the US system and posing a threat to the US national security through his fraudulent activity undertaken over several years.
\nInformed by legal documents, financial records, interviews and recordings, the WSJ\u2019s story paints a picture of a college dropout who blagged his way into the upper echelons of Washington\u2019s political scene through a combination of bare-faced lies and stolen money.
\nSrivastava, who met President Joe Biden and allegedly donated more than $1 million to the Democrats, all while claiming to be a clandestine operative of the CIA, is increasingly viewed as a national security threat in the US. Moreover, a political storm is brewing on Capitol Hill as Republicans and others seek to understand how a green-card holder, born in Lucknow, India, can buy unchecked access into the highest echelons of the Democratic Party.
\nThose conned by Srivastava \u2013 or \u2018Mr G\u2019, as he liked to be known \u2013 include General Wesley Clark, the former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO; the Atlantic Council thinktank; several Democratic fundraising committees; multiple Senators and Congressmen, including Senator Mark Warner and Representative Patrick Ryan; a Geneva-based commodities trader; several African leaders; and the President of Indonesia. Many of these individuals stepped away from Srivastava of their own accord after questioning his integrity, while others dropped him after the expos\u00e9 on him.
\nThe scam was originally reported on in October 2023 by former Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bradley Hope in his investigative outlet, Project Brazen. Srivastava has repeatedly attempted to have all reporting of his activities removed from the public domain, including through a deceitful lawsuit against several publications in Pakistan and India and through fraudulently-made attempts to have articles de-listed from Google under US copyright laws. This involved pasting the article\u2019s text into a blog post on hosting sites Tumblr or Medium and then back-dating the posts, making them appear to have been published earlier than the original article that exposed the Indian conman. Srivastava then used aliases or fake names to file a copyright complaint to Google to de-index the articles.
\nThe WSJ reported how Srivastava sought to build a business that could profit from the close connections between commodities, intelligence and security. Targeting developing countries and war zones, largely in Africa, on the one hand, Srivastava approached leaders and powerful intermediaries claiming to be a non-official cover (NOC) operative of the CIA who could support the development of their links to the US Government. Surrounding himself with powerful figures, including General Clark \u2013 who was in fact a paid-for consultant – the WSJ described how Srivastava built a picture of legitimacy that fooled leaders from Libya, where he had dealings with Russia-backed General Haftar, to Sudan, where he worked for General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo \u2013 known as Hemedti \u2013 who is now facing allegations of war crimes.
\nAt the same time as he was claiming to be a CIA agent in Africa, Srivastava was presenting himself in Washington DC as a well-connected American citizen who \u201chinted at some kind of relationship with the US Government\u201d that could not be disclosed, according to Gen. Clark speaking to the WSJ. Political donations helped open doors, and a major donation of $1 million to the Atlantic Council for a food security event in fall 2023 lent him legitimacy. On 2nd March 2024, Politico revealed that the Atlantic Council has confirmed it has terminated its relationship with Gaurav Srivastava, his wife Sharon and their fake charitable organisation “The Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation” after the think tank found that Srivastavas had lied to the council to secure their partnership.
\nThe scam began to unravel after Niels Troost, a trader that Srivastava was attempting to scam, grew suspicious. Troost found a trail of fraud allegations against him in the US and India, where his family business, the New Delhi-based Veecon Group, has a string of failed deals in the entertainment and security sectors.
\nSrivastava had been introduced to Troost in early 2022 by a mutual business associate as someone who could help Troost to counter threats from another business counterpart. The introducer vouched for Mr G\u2019s CIA credentials, according to Troost and an affidavit, and Srivastava set to work trying to gain Troost\u2019s confidence.
\nIn time and after appearing to resolve Troost\u2019s initial issue, Srivastava claimed that he could get Troost permission from the US Government to trade Russian oil \u201cas part of a CIA-approved program\u201d, according to the WSJ. This would supposedly allow Washington to keep track of oil flows out of Russia, while at the same time providing a vehicle for Srivastava to sell commodities he received for his alleged CIA-backed security work in Africa. After an apparent \u201cinterrogation\u201d of Troost in Geneva by a French financier, Nicolas Bravard, who Srivastava allegedly said was a \u201cfriend of the FBI\u201d, Mr G then inducted Troost into his claimed \u201cprogram\u201d in Bali, confiding that he \u201cwas with the CIA\u201d, according to Troost speaking to the WSJ.
\nClaiming to act with the direct support of CIA Director William \u2018Bill\u2019 Burns, Srivastava persuaded Troost to part with 50% of his company and, with the help of US law firm Baker Hostetler, a sale was agreed in July 2023. The WSJ reported how Srivastava claimed not to be able to own the shares directly \u2013 \u201cbecause Russia and other countries wouldn\u2019t do business with a US agent\u201d \u2013 so Bravard would act as his proxy.
\nThe WSJ article described how in the subsequent months Srivastava drew money out of Troost\u2019s company, Paramount Energy & Commodities, and used it to fund political donations in the US, the establishment of a new office, and even the purchase of a $24.5 million villa in the exclusive Los Angeles neighbourhood of Pacific Palisades. The nature of this purchase \u2013 where an Indonesian company was apparently persuaded under false pretences into providing funds to Srivastava \u2013 appears to be central to the wire fraud claims against Srivastava.
\nAs suspicions grew at Paramount about Srivastava\u2019s claims, the funds dried up. At this point in early 2023, Srivastava appeared to grow desperate, according to the WSJ. Citing recordings of phone calls, emails and messages, Srivastava and his associates pressured Troost to transfer ownership of Paramount to the US as soon as possible, with Srivastava making increasingly outrageous claims to try to win Troost\u2019s trust. The desperate assertions reportedly included statements that he was \u201cone of 30 such top-secret agents working for the US\u201d alongside fabled financier Warren Buffett who \u201cran the CIA\u2019s pension plan\u201d. Buffett denied any connection to Srivastava and the CIA.
\nSo important was his \u2018program\u2019, Mr G claimed, that CIA Director William Burns \u201cyelled at him\u201d to get the transfer done. According to another recording reported in the WSJ, Srivastava then betrayed his intellectual shortcomings by saying that Burns could act however he liked: \u201cIt is in the United States government charter which was written in the Declaration of Independence. It\u2019s there. He can do whatever he wants. It\u2019s part of our Constitution.\u201d Ironically, Srivastava\u2019s lawyers admit that, despite the recording, their client never had a call with William Burns and said the claim \u201cis a fabrication\u201d \u2013 although they decline to say who fabricated the story.
\nSoon after this, in May 2023 Troost rescinded all agreements with Srivastava and his proxies on account of this deception. All those who have dealt with Srivastava appear to have cut ties with him while raising serious issues about his integrity. The only exceptions to this appear to be a former CIA officer, John Maguire, who was previously involved in another con attempt in the US, and Mr G\u2019s law firm, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, whose partner Charles Adams, a former US Ambassador to Finland and major fundraiser for the Democratic Party, called questions from the WSJ \u201cbullshit\u201d and told one of the world\u2019s most authoritative and respected publications \u201cwe won\u2019t acknowledge your existence.\u201d
\nRecently, two separate cases were lodged against Gaurav and his wife Sharon Srivastava in California for fraud and fraudulent misrepresentations, amongst other causes of action. Similarly, a former landlord of the couple, the former head of ABC Entertainment, Stephen McPherson, filed a lawsuit against Srivastava after the Indian businessman refused to move out of his $12 million Santa Monica home following the expiry of the six-month lease. Referring to Srivastava as a \u201cfat, schlubby, disgruntled guy\u201d, McPherson claimed that Srivastava lied to police about his missing furniture and wine collection and failed to pay an additional five months\u2019 rent.
\nWriting in the WSJ, Wallace wrote: \u201cSrivastava\u2019s story\u2014part Austin Powers, part James Bond\u2014shows the ease with which someone with money and moxie can access Washington\u2019s most influential people.\u201d
\nTroost told the Journal he feels \u201cburned but takes solace in believing he wasn\u2019t alone. \u2018It wasn\u2019t just me. The entire political system fell for his story,\u2019 he added\u201d.
\nDespite the array of allegations and evidence of criminal activity against him, Srivastava and his lawyers deny all claims against him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents in Los Angeles are investigating a fraudster and fake agent of CIA, Gaurav Srivastava, who is facing criminal allegations of wire fraud, money laundering, and falsely representing himself as a US federal official and US citizen, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has revealed. In an investigation, senior WSJ […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":428338,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-428337","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n