Seeker of dirt on Biden pleads guilty
NEW YORK — A Florida businessman who helped Rudy Giuliani seek damaging information on Joe Biden in Ukraine pleaded guilty Friday to facilitating illegal foreign campaign contributions in an effort to build a marijuana business in the U.S.
Igor Fruman, 56, entered the plea in federal court in Manhattan after reaching a deal with prosecutors. Fruman’s plea agreement does not require him to cooperate in other cases, U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken said.
Initially charged in a wide-ranging indictment, Fruman pleaded guilty to a single count of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national. The plea resolves the case against him.
Federal sentencing guidelines call for a punishment of 37 to 46 months in prison, though Fruman could get up to five years, the judge said. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21.
The plea leaves two men — Lev Parnas, another Soviet-born Florida businessman and Giuliani associate, and Ukraine-born investor Andrey Kukushkin — to face trial next month.
Fruman was also charged with, but did not plead guilty to, arranging hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal donations to Republicans and political action committees while trying to get Americans interested in investigating Biden’s son in Ukraine during the Democrat’s successful run for president.
Giuliani, 77, has said he had no knowledge of illegal campaign contributions. Giuliani has insisted his Ukrainian activities were conducted on behalf of former President Donald Trump.