A California-based businessman who claimed to be a top secret CIA operative is accused in a US lawsuit of planning to defraud a Dutch oil trader of a company worth $350 million.
‘Not even a US citizen, simply a fraud’
Gaurav Srivastava, an Indian national living in US, is as a “fake spy” in the report who falsely presented himself as a powerful intelligence operative to gain money, influence and control of a major energy business. His alleged victim, Dutch-born trader Niels Troost, says the deception ultimately destroyed his company.A former federal prosecutor representing Troost said: “Srivastava is not a CIA operative and never has been.”The prosecutor Jason Massimore added: “He’s not even a U.S. citizen. He’s simply a fraud.”
Kidnapped by ISIS? How Srivastava convinced Troost he was the ‘real deal’
According to the lawsuit, Troost first met Srivastava after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The time when Russian oil companies were under fire, and Troost was a long-running business partner with them. A lot of countries supporting Ukraine imposed sanctions on Russia following the invasion. Srivastava claimed he could protect Troost from US sanctions, saying that he has knowledge of a secret CIA programme monitoring Russian oil flows.Srivastava allegedly told Troost he was an undercover CIA officer. He even showed scars on his body, which he said came from a mission, and claimed he was kidnapped by ISIS in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2008. The complaint says those stories were invented. It states the scars came from a childhood kidney operation and that ISIS did not operate in the DRC at that time.To reinforce his claims, Srivastava shared photographs of himself with senior political and military figures, including former President Joe Biden and former Nato commander general Wesley Clark. Troost says he believed he was in the hands of someone backed by the highest levels of US government.
Millions of dollars made through ‘complete fiction’
The complaint alleges: “For more than five years, defendant Gaurav Srivastava led a criminal enterprise that stole and extorted tens of millions of dollars from plaintiffs and other victims based upon the false over-arching narrative that Srivastava was a high-level non-official cover operative for the CIA.”It added: “That was all a complete fiction.”Troost claims Srivastava convinced him in July 2022 to sell half of his company (Paramount Energy) at a steep discount. He was told it was necessary to avoid sanctions and keep trading Russian oil with White House support. Despite disagreement from other partners, Troost agreed.Soon after, Srivastava pressured Troost to move the company to US and transferred $51 million from a subsidiary to an Indonesian firm. Of that, $25 million ended up with Srivastava, who used it to buy a $24.5 million mansion in Pacific Palisades.More funds were siphoned off through payments to dubious entities, including a law firm Srivastava claimed had ties to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But the firm was run by a lawyer previously convicted on narcotics charges.By 2023, Srivastava had set up a Los Angeles office designed to resemble a federal agency, complete with the Great Seal of the United States and ceremonial swords engraved with his name. He claimed the swords were gifts from senior officials but had ordered them himself, the lawsuit says.
Unpaid debts, bounced cheques raise suspicion
Suspicion grew after a news headline showed Srivastava’s luxury home purchase. Troost hired an investigator who allegedly uncovered a pattern of past fraud, including unpaid debts and bounced cheques.When Troost confronted him, Srivastava allegedly threatened retaliation. If Troost did not comply, he would be labelled a Russian agent and sanctioned, the complaint claims. Troost eventually revoked Srivastava’s stake in May 2023.The lawsuit accuses Srivastava of hiring The Arkin Group, a firm run by former senior CIA figures, to spread false stories portraying Troost as a Kremlin-linked criminal. A report claimed Troost funded the Wagner Group. Another targeted his children, including attempts to have his son expelled from a UK university, according to the Independent. Srivastava has denied posing as a spy. The Arkin Group has said he never claimed to work for the CIA. However, the complaint includes call transcripts in which Srivastava allegedly describes himself as a clandestine operative.Troost’s company is now in liquidation. His lawsuit seeks the return of all funds allegedly taken by Srivastava.
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