Uhuru group convicted of conspiring with Russian agent, acquitted of acting on behalf of foreign government
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A jury in federal court handed down a mixed verdict in the case that alleges four members of the Uhuru group, that has a base in St. Petersburg, conspired with Russians to interfere in American politics.
The suspects were convicted of conspiring with Russian agents, but acquitted of the even more serious charge of acting as agents of a foreign government. In an interview following the verdict, Uhuru chairman Omali Yeshitela, called the mixed verdict a full victory.
"I didn't think it was that mixed," he said during an interview at the Uhuru House in South St. Pete. "I thought it was an extraordinarily intelligent, important and good jury that rejected the line of the government that we were Russian agents."
The U.S. government said the Uhuru group, which fielded a candidate for mayor of St. Pete in 2017, conspired with the founder of the anti-globalization movement of Russia.
Prosecutors said founder Aleksandr Ionov was funded by the Russian government and successfully encouraged three Uhuru defendants, Omali Yeshitela, Penny Hess and eventual mayoral candidate Jesse Nevel, to petition the UN in 2015.
The petition said the U.S. was actively committing genocide against African people.
"I don't think anything has been wrong with my communications," he said.
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Officials said Yeshitela and Hess then used $12,000 from Ionov to carry that message around the U.S.
In 2017 and 2019, Ionov was accused of trying to influence elections in St. Pete, including to offer campaign finance help to Nevel. Prosecutors also said Ionov told handlers in Russia that they were supervising a St. Pete City Council candidate in 2019.
The Uhuru group denies those accusations.
"I don't know whether the Russian government is pleased by discord in St. Pete. I can't speak for them," said Yeshitela. "What I can say is that as leaders of the African people, we will do whatever is necessary to raise these contradictions."
The attempts to influence the outcomes of the elections in St. Pete were unsuccessful. But, they said the suspects were aware that Ionov would only provide resources for actions that would support Russia’s efforts to undermine the U.S.
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At trial, the Uhuru legal team argued they were merely exercising their First Amendment rights.
"I'm not afraid of [going to jail]," Yeshitela said. "I've done it so many times. You can't do what I do and be afraid of going to jail. I don't want to go to jail. I'll be 83 in a few days, and obviously, I don't want to spend the rest of my life in jail."
Each suspect faces five years in federal prison. No sentencing date has been set, but an appeal is planned.
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