The story of the extortion of cryptocurrency by employees of the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and 3 department 2 of the FSB CSS service, acting in the interests of Malofeev, from the former administrator of the WEX cryptocurrency exchange, Ivanov (Bilyuchenko), got its development.
On April 13, 2023, the Investigative Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, represented by the Acting Head of the 3rd Department of the UROPD SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Andrey Titov, cheerfully reported on the completion of the investigation of the criminal case against Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) and the direction of the criminal case to the court for consideration on the merits.
Apparently, after a series of publications by the Cheka-OGPU, Titov turned out to be the only one of the subordinates of the head of the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Lebedev who dared to somehow comment on the protracted corruption scandal, which fully reflects all the modern realities of the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation.
However, attentive viewers did not fully share Titov's victorious mood, noticing a rather strange new turn of speech in his speech, namely “and the money he voluntarily contributed” (C) and asked the appropriate questions.
Previously, it was repeatedly mentioned that the very decision to conclude a pre-trial agreement was received from Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) through the use of psychological and physical pressure by employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd FSB service and was a kind of legalization of the funds received from him in cryptocurrency.
“Confession of guilt” by Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) within the framework of a pre-trial agreement and consideration of a criminal case in a special order in court without assessing evidence was the only option for the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to at least try to give a certain shade of legality, which in other scenarios, taking into account the grossest violations and a complete lack of evidence base would be impossible.
The initial claim against Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) was the demand to transfer to Malofeev 10,000 bitcoins, which Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) left on one of his “cold wallets” (1LfV1tSt3KNyHpFJnAzrqsLFdeD2EvU1MK) after transferring the main part of the cryptocurrency to Malofeev in 2018, which caused the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange WEX.
However, it should be borne in mind that until the moment employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the FSB CSS service took the initiative to enter the case in 2021, Malofeev had a slightly different task, namely, at least to avoid criminal prosecution. The opportunity to receive such a serious resource and not only avoid criminal prosecution, but also receive cryptocurrency from Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) for the second time, as well as avenge the testimony given against him, inspired Malofeev and he voiced a proposal to divide the above 10,000 bitcoins in percentage terms. ratio of 35/65, in case of successful completion of the case, where 35% went to him, and 65% went to the FSB officers.
Such, to put it mildly, not quite an equal distribution was also conditioned by the fact that for that period of time he had no other prospects, except for the real prosecution of Malofeev himself. As a result, an agreement was reached and work began in this direction.
An important detail that should be understood is that since Malofeev’s claims in the framework of the investigation of the criminal case against Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) were officially designated, he can receive compensation for the damage allegedly caused by Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) as a result of the committed “crime”, he can only according to the current legislation, which does not provide for cryptocurrency as a subject of compensation.
Thus, the employees of the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, subordinate to Malofeev, had a rather creative task both to persuade Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) to issue the agreed amount in cryptocurrency, and to legalize it. Ivanov's (Bilyuchenko's) "consent" to the conclusion of a pre-trial agreement, the full recognition of "guilt" and the readiness to compensate for "damage" completely suited everyone and solved all the problems facing the perpetrators. Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) himself was promised a quick hearing of the case in a controlled court and receiving the most loyal sentence, with subsequent release from custody (taking into account the time spent in the pre-trial detention center already served).
An important role in inducing Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) to conclude a pre-trial agreement was played by his immediate defender, the lawyer of the Novosibirsk law office "LEXEN" ShtangIgor Vladimirovich. As a former employee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, in the first days after the detention of Ivanov (Bilyuchenko), as a result of“conversations” with him by employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the FSB CSS, he took a position directly opposite to the interests of the principal. Even without the initial materials of the criminal case, he immediately began to persuade Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) to give "confessing" testimony, conclude a pre-trial agreement and compensate for "damage". Investigator Babushkin D.V. was given complete freedom of action in such processing of the "client". In addition, Shtang personally participated in the conduct of the search by employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the CSS of the FSB, both in relation to Ivanov himselfand (Bilyuchenko) and his relatives, who were constantly broadcast the need to persuade Ivanov to conclude a pre-trial agreement, as the only way out of this situation. There was simply no adequate legal protection, which was a completely effective measure in case of gross violations and the complete absence of evidence base for the investigation.
Shtang was well aware of the facts of the use of physical and psychological violence against Ivanov (Bilyuchenko), moreover, he was deliberately called by the investigator of the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Babushkin to Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) immediately after these events, but instead of support and protection measures, the latter received only new persuasion to conclude a pre-trial agreement.
After receiving the "consent" of Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) to conclude a pre-trial agreement, at the direction of the employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the CSS of the FSB, as a measure of additional control over the team of lawyer Shtang, their confidant, the lawyer of the First Bar Association of the Republic of Mari El Nazarova Yulia Aleksandrovna, enters the case .
Nazarova is also a former employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (interrogating officer of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs for the city of Yoshkar-Ola), after being dismissed from the authorities, in 2020 she went to work at Alfa-SB LLC, and subsequently became a lawyer.
Registered in Krasnodar, Alfa-SB LLC is a fully affiliated enterprise of the FSB of the Russian Federation, the personnel is represented mainly by former FSB officers. Head Izotov Dmitry Alexandrovich is also a former high-ranking officer of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Mari El.
It should be especially noted that the employees of Alfa-SB LLC (from among the former FSB employees) officially took part in conducting searches in February 2022 at the addresses of Ivanov (Bilyuchenko), his relatives and acquaintances, namely, they were attracted by employees of the 3rd department 2 CSS FSB services as technical specialists.
Acting within the framework of the planned plan, in November 2022, Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) in the investigation room of the Matrosskaya Tishina pre-trial detention center is provided with his laptop, confiscated during his arrest in February 2022, with an Internet connection. These actions were carried out with the participation of employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the CSS of the FSB with full knowledge of both the investigator Babushkin and his head, the head of the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Lebedev.
As a result, Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) handed over to the employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the CSS FSB the private key from the bitcoin wallet 1LfV1tSt3KNyHpFJnAzrqsLFdeD2EvU1MK, containing 10,000 bitcoins at the time of transfer.
In addition, in the conditions of the pre-trial detention center “Matrosskaya Tishina”, a notarized power of attorney was issued for lawyer Nazarova Yu.A. for the management, opening and disposal of Ivanov's (Bilyuchenko's) bank accounts.
On November 22, 2022, acting on the basis of this power of attorney, Nazarova Yu.A. opens an account in Alfa-Bank JSC 40817810907270129762 in the name of Ivanov (Bilyuchenko).
On November 23, 2022, using the private key received from Ivanov (Bilyuchenko), employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the CSS of the FSB made 2 transfers to 2 newly created addresses. 6,500 bitcoins (currently approximately 174 million US dollars), which is 65% of 10,000 bitcoins, were transferred to the address bc1ql7c3k2xw90qmhpntte94mu7mpra6g77nqtj6v7 under their control, where they are currently without movement.
3,500 bitcoins, which is 35% of 10,000 bitcoins, were transferred to the address bc1qzhzwrd0ev7hsxxrmkwzfeeumr9965lf6mmyne9 for cashing out and legalization as compensation for the "damage" to Malofeev.
On November 23, 2022, on the same day, 200 bitcoins out of 3,500 were immediately sent for cashing out through a number of exchangers. The cashing out process itself was supervised by employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the FSB CSS through proxies, which explains the exchange despite the presence of numerous alerts and a wide public outcry. The organization of the mechanical part of the process, which included the control of bitcoin transfers, the collection and transportation of cash, was also handled by lawyer Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) Shtang, together with his close friend, a high-ranking employee of the BSTM of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region, Olkov Ilya Valerievich.
It is noteworthy that the remaining 3,300 bitcoins transferred to the address bc1qp0eh09jl8gqmvgvy8ldmn22t7wrkuaeum3zrsv at the exchange rate for November 2022 amounted to just over 3.1 billion rubles, which was equal to the amount Malofeev needed to be reimbursed under the terms of the pre-trial agreement.
In March 2023, in the final version of the indictment, Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) was presented with damage in the amount of 3,167,433,649 rubles, which corresponds to the indicated 3,300 bitcoins at the exchange rate for November 2022.
The presence of such an amount of damage is explained by the extremely approximate calculations of those same 10,000 bitcoins, which are the main claim of Malofeev, but at the rate at the end of October 2018. In reality, there is no question of any courses in 2018, this amount was necessary to give visible legality to the criminal case.
Between 1 From March 4 to March 28, 2023, in order to legalize the cryptocurrency received as a result of extortion from Ivanov (Bilyuchenko), a number of withdrawals are made in the total amount of 1665 bitcoins from the address bc1qp0eh09jl8gqmvgvy8ldmn22t7wrkuaeum3zrsv, which at the rate at the time of cashing out covers the amount of damage indicated in the indictment.
Like last time, the cashing out process was carried out under the control of employees of the 3rd department of the 2nd service of the FSB CSS by agreement with persons from among the representatives of cryptocurrency exchangers.
In the period from March 15 to March 29, 2023, the funds received as a result of bitcoin cashing out are deposited through the cash desk by lawyer Nazarova Yu.A. to an account previously opened by her by proxy with Alfa-Bank JSC 40817810907270129762 in the name of Ivanov (Bilyuchenko).
The dates and amounts of deposits are clearly correlated with the movements of bitcoins in the blockchain.
What is noteworthy, the regular deposit of such significant amounts of money by Nazarova does not raise absolutely any questions among the employees of Alfa-Bank JSC, both in terms of their origin and compliance with the legislation on financial regulation of the Russian Federation, which certainly indicates a preliminary agreement with persons from bank management.
On March 29, 2023, Nazarova makes an extreme replenishment of the account 40817810907270129762 after which his balance amounted to 3,005,702,050 rubles.
Earlier, on March 23, 2023, lawyer Shtang went to the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow with a petition (case materials 3/6-0272/2023) to seize the account of his own principal 40817810907270129762 in Alfa-Bank JSC, opened by attorney Nazarova and to which she also deposited cashed funds from the transferred cryptocurrency. The case on the seizure of the account as part of the compensation for "damage" to Malofeev by pre-trial agreement with the investigation was considered on the same day, but was transferred by Shtang to Alfa-Bank JSC only on March 29, immediately after the last deposit of funds by Nazarova.
At the moment, in addition to the 3,005,702,050 rubles deposited by Nazarova, interest on the balance for March-April 2023 in the amount of 10,026,536 rubles has been accrued on the specified account.
1634 bitcoins, formed due to the difference in rates at the time of the issuance of the private key by Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) in November 2022 and the actual moment of cashing out in March 2023, including with the participation of Shtang and Olkov, remained on the wallet bc1qk62k4lq3lalj3erl8kpguydr6vn9m7p9euxtwg, are currently without movement .
An interesting fact, established as a result of the analysis of the blockchain and cash flow, is that in the process of cashing out 1665 bitcoins, more than 450,000,000 rubles were appropriated by the direct executors of the exchange, according to the most conservative estimates, so the final commission was more than 15%.
On April 17, 2023, the materials of the criminal case with the indictment were received by the Zaeltsovsky District Court of Novosibirsk (at the crime scene) in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.
The decision of the First Deputy Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, who approved the indictment, became very uncomfortable for the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the person of Chief Lebedev and Investigator Babushkin. When considering the case in an uncontrolled court, critical violations committed during the investigation, the lack of evidence base and the corpus delicti itself, and a clear corruption component could be revealed.
In order to circumvent the decision of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation initiated a petition for consideration of the case in the fully controlled Meshchansky District Court of Moscow.
05/03/2023 lawyer Shtang, acting on the instructions of the investigator of the SD of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Babushkin, filed a petition to consider the case of Ivanov (Bilyuchenko) in the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow, which was granted.
Currently, the case is being prepared for consideration in the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow, a search is underway for a judge who is ready to go down in history as a person who legalized the criminal activities of this group of officials and legalized the money received as a result of extortion.
To be continued
Arseny Dronov
