new accusations
According to the Telegram channel of the Moscow Investigative Committee, a new criminal case has been launched against the Chekalins – this time blogger Valeria, known as Lerchek, and her husband Artem were accused of money laundering on a particularly large scale.
According to the investigation, in April 2021, the Chekalins, together with their accomplices, “laundered more than 130 million rubles obtained in crime and bought US currency for them.” Investigators believe the spouses are “hiding their connection” with the “origins” of the money laundered in this way.
“Crime-generated funds have been legalized through financial transactions to give legitimacy to the possession, use and disposal of funds,” the ministry said.
The Investigative Committee noted that the defendants in the criminal case were controlled for “committing other economic crimes.”
The press service of the Moscow Savelovsky Court told RIA Novosti that the court confiscated the money and property of Lerchek and her husband. In total, they froze 311 million rubles – this amount was used to assess the damage in the first criminal case of tax evasion against Valeria and Artyom.
At the same time, the court did not specify whether injunctive relief was applied to actual money or property owned by individual entrepreneurs.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said in a meeting with the head of the New People faction, Alexei Nechaev, that he would ask the relevant department to deal with Chekalin’s accusation.
“As for the case of bloggers, naturally, first of all you have to look at the core, namely what is presented. Well, specifically, today we have representatives of the Federal Tax Service, we will ask you to take a special look and, of course, hold the necessary meeting what is there. Until all these are resolved along this line, no action will be taken,” the prime minister said.
without internet
On the Telegram channel, the Moscow prosecutor’s office reported that the bloggers “do not admit their guilt”. The ministry added that representatives of the prosecution will ask the court to choose a restraining measure from Chekalin in the form of a ban on certain actions.
Before the court session, Lerchek posted on Instagram (the owner of Meta is recognized and banned in Russia as an extremist) saying goodbye to subscribers and thanking them for their interest.
“Darling, it was very difficult to choose a photo for this post. Especially when you have the phone in your hand at the last minute. I wanted to say thank you very much for these seven years you’ve spent with me. And you know, this is not just a page. This is my soul. Your cekalins will miss you,” she wrote.
Valeria added that she cannot comment on the current situation and does not know when she will be contacted again.
Soon, RIA Novosti reported that the Savelovsky Court of Moscow prohibited Chekalina from using the Internet.
“The court has decided to honor the inspector’s petition, to choose a restraining measure in the form of a ban on certain acts,” the agency said, quoting the judge’s words.
Chekalina was prohibited from communicating with witnesses and accomplices other than close relatives, as well as using other means of communication, including mail, telephone (except calling emergency services), the Internet. At the same time, women’s freedom of movement is not restricted.
Lerchek himself found these sanctions excessive. He asked the court not to ban him from using social networks. According to the girl, she kept a “kind family blog” with stories about her children, and this was the family’s only income. According to him, she no longer “knows” how to make money.
Concerning Chekalina’s husband, Artem, the court made a similar decision. The man was also prohibited from communicating with witnesses and using the mail, telephone and internet.
The lawyer said that the Chekalins could no longer call taxis, nannies, take the children to the garden, go to the groceries, etc.
According to the news of the Telegram channel Shot, the couple quickly hired a person to manage their Instagram accounts after the court decision. The channel’s reporters added that the bloggers have a total of 250 employees.
First criminal case
The current criminal case was the second for the Chekalins. On March 7, Lerchek and her husband were charged with tax evasion.
According to researchers, from July 2020 to July 2022, Chekalina, an individual entrepreneur and applying a simplified tax system with an allowable income limit of 150 million rubles per year, received income from fitness marathons without paying 300 million rubles to the treasury. The blogger “conducted a division of labor” to evade taxes – the income from his activities went to the IP of his wife and other relatives.
Known by the nickname Lerchek, Chekalina has about 10 million followers on Instagram.