A significant legal decision unfolded today as a jury found four individuals guilty of conspiring to act as agents for a foreign government.

The convicted parties are Omali Yeshitela, 82, Penny Hess, 78, Jesse Nevel, 34, all from St. Louis, and Augustus C. Romain Jr., 38, from Atlanta.

They were all charged in a superseding indictment dated April 13, 2023.

Evidence of Foreign Influence

The case centered around allegations that Yeshitela, Hess, and Nevel acted on behalf of the Russian government between May 2015 and July 2022.

The key figure in the investigation, Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, is based in Moscow and leads the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (AGMR), a Russian government-funded organization.

Yeshitela, Hess, and Nevel held prominent roles within the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP), while Romain was a senior leader of APSP before founding the Black Hammer organization in Georgia.

Ionov’s operations were overseen by Federal Security Service (FSB) officers from Moscow, including Aleksey Borisovich Sukhodolov and Yegor Sergeyevich Popov.

Key Actions and Meetings

The trial revealed that in May 2015, Ionov invited Yeshitela to Russia for discussions about future collaboration.

Prior to this visit, Hess had communicated with Ionov to ensure Yeshitela would meet with a Russian government representative.

Subsequent emails and communications indicated that Yeshitela recognized Ionov’s role as an agent of the Russian government and that Ionov’s efforts were aimed at sowing division within the U.S. Yeshitela and the others were directed to support actions that would undermine U.S. interests.

Activities and Influence Operations

Under Ionov’s guidance, the defendants took several notable actions.

In August 2015, they were tasked with drafting and publishing a petition accusing the U.S. of genocide against African people.

Despite initial resistance from Hess, the petition was eventually published and promoted by Ionov.

In January 2016, Ionov funded a four-city tour to promote this petition, which was overseen by Yeshitela and Hess.

Election Interference and Protests

The investigation also uncovered attempts by Ionov to influence local elections in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2017 and 2019.

Ionov offered campaign support to Nevel, who was running for Mayor, and reported on local elections to the FSB.

In April 2020, Ionov invited Nevel and Yeshitela to speak at a conference supporting Russian-backed secessionist movements in Ukraine.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Ionov directed further actions including protests against social media companies and demonstrations in support of Russia.

These actions were carried out by Romain and members of Black Hammer in California and Atlanta.

Sentencing and Future Proceedings

The defendants now face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

A sentencing date has not been set.

The case has been managed by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Risha Asokan, along with Trial Attorney Menno Goedman from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The FBI continues to investigate the matter.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI National Security Branch announced the verdict.

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