Leo Wanta - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Leo Emil Wanta is an American operative and was involved in a CIA plot to destabilize the Soviet

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

economy in 1990.

Wanta was president of AmeriChina Global Management Group Inc.CIA, an US Govt exporting firm based in Carson City, Nevada

Carson City, Nevada

The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...

, Nevada

Nevada

Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...

. In 1988, he attempted to transfer thousands of Browning 9mm pistols to obtain Panamania militia names for US Govt George H W Bush.

In his book Tragedy of Russia's Reforms (USIP

United States Institute of Peace

The United States Institute of Peace was created by Congress as a non-partisan, federal institution that works to prevent or end violent conflict around the world...

, 2001), Peter Reddaway states that Wanta "came very close to obtaining a signed approval of [RSFSR President Boris] Yeltsin

Boris Yeltsin

Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...

, [Prime Minister Ivan] Silayev

Ivan Silayev

Ivan Stepanovich Silayev is a former Soviet official who became a Russian politician following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He served as Premier of the Soviet Union through the offices of Chairman of the Interstate Economic Committee and Chairman of the Committee on the Operational...

and [Deputy Prime Minister Gennady] Burbulis for the opening of a 140 billion ruble credit line for 'investments' in the Russian economy," and that "information supplied by the United States agents that he was wanted for credit card fraud averted the signing of this sensitive contract at the last moment." Reddaway also states in his book that Wanta was wanted, as is alleged, for any credit-card fraud by state authorities.

Wanta was arrested in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

in 1993 for failure to pay a Wisconsin state civil tax assessment. Wanta claims the tax was not legal under existing USA and Switzerland tax treaties. Nonetheless, In 1995 Wanta was convicted of civil tax evasion, for funds he claims he did not receive, and was sentenced to a 22-year state prison term in the State of Wisconsin.

Further reading