Elena Blinovskaya, author of Desire Marathon, who was detained the day before, was taken to Presnensky Court in Moscow to choose a preventive measure in a windowless rice wagon. Blinovskaya covered herself with a hood from lenses, was quickly taken to the building.
The court decided to send Blinovskaya under house arrest and forbade her to use the Internet – such a preventive measure was requested by the investigation. The UK claims that a blogger could threaten witnesses, conceal or destroy evidence.
The defense insisted on a milder measure of restraint—the “prohibition of certain acts.”
In court, Blinovskaya admitted that she transferred 6% discounted income and did not reflect her real income in the statements. At the same time, she added that she was ready to pay back everything.
He admitted his guilt and repented
Earlier, the Main Investigation Department of the TFR in Moscow accused Blinovskaya of particularly large-scale tax evasion and money laundering (part 2 of article 198 of article 174.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, paragraph “b” ) . We are talking about 918 million rubles, she managed to legalize more than 43 million rubles.
in the Investigative Committee reportedthat during the interrogation the blogger fully admitted his guilt and repented of his action.
“Today, the investigation applies to the Presnensky Court for the selection of a preventive measure on the restriction of the freedom of the person concerned,” said Yulia Ivanova, representative of the Moscow Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.
During the meeting with the judge, it was also learned that the blogger gave the passport to the inspectors and voluntarily handed over the tax payment. The payment amount was not specified.
Among other things, the investigation aims to determine who informed Blinovskaya about her plans to bring a criminal case against her. Probably for this reason, the blogger urgently tried to leave Russia.
“As part of the preliminary investigation, investigators of the Moscow Investigative Committee will identify those who have provided information to the accused about the investigation secret, which is protected by law,” the UK said.
Blinovskaya faces up to three years in prison or forced labor for the same amount of time on charges of tax evasion. The maximum penalty for money laundering is up to seven years’ imprisonment, possible fine or up to five years of forced labor, as well as restriction of liberty or prohibition from engaging in certain activities.
Essence of charges and detention
Elena Blinovskaya was detained on April 27 in the Smolensk region near the border with Belarus. She tried to leave Russia in a rented car, with plane tickets to Tashkent.
according to the newspaper “Kommersant”, investigators opened a criminal case against Blinovskaya on April 26 and wanted to inform her the next day. But the blogger found out about this earlier and made an attempt to leave.
The blogger paid taxes as an individual entrepreneur under a simplified system, assuming an annual income of not more than 150 million rubles.
The investigation believes that Blinovskaya’s income was significantly higher, and from 2019 to 2021 the blogger paid no more than 918 million rubles of VAT and personal income tax.
The UK claims that the blogger used a scheme to “split” the business to underestimate the revenue received. The prosecutor’s office is confident that Blinovskaya “deliberately and formally interrupted business” and “attracted unidentified persons into the execution of the criminal plot”.
The investigation states that the accused and his accomplices transferred business income to clearing accounts of 18 regulated entities and three individual entrepreneurs using a simplified taxation system.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Blinovskaya “laundered” more than 43 million rubles obtained by criminal means. With them, in particular, she paid for a car and equipment for a company her husband founded, as well as celebrating her 40th anniversary in August 2021. According to Kommersant, the incident cost Blinovskaya about 120 million rubles.
In 2015, Blinovskaya launched the Desire Marathon project, a course that consists of lectures and practices that she offers as self-help classes. Marathons were held in messengers, and its essence was that subscribers made a list of their desires, and then fulfilled them with the help of special tasks.
The blogger also provides training on financial well-being and relationships. Their average cost is from 3 thousand to 10 thousand rubles.
The proceedings against Blinovskaya became the third tax evasion case against the blogger since the beginning of spring. In March, investigators indicted blogger Valeria Chekalina under the same article, and her husband Artem Chekalin was charged with complicity. According to the IC, they paid no more than 311 million rubles to the budget and legalized more than 130 million rubles. Also in March, a criminal case was opened against blogger Alexandra Mitroshina, who, according to investigators, did not pay 120 million rubles.