new accusations

The Telegram channel of the Moscow Investigative Committee reported that a new criminal case has been opened against the Chekalins. The charges accuse blogger Valeria, known as Lerchek, and her husband Artem of large-scale money laundering.

Investigators say that in April 2021 the couple and their associates laundered more than 130 million rubles obtained through crime and converted that sum into U S currency. They believe the spouses are concealing the origins of the funds involved in the laundering process.

Officials stated that the proceeds were legalized through financial transactions to legitimize possession, use, and disposal of the funds.

The Investigative Committee noted that the defendants were already under scrutiny for other economic offenses in connection with this case.

According to the press service of the Moscow Savelovsky Court, Lerchek and Artem had their money and property frozen. In total, 311 million rubles were seized as part of the assessment of losses in a prior tax evasion case involving Valeria and Artyom.

The court did not specify whether the restraining measures affected actual money or property owned by individual entrepreneurs.

During a meeting, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told the head of the New People faction, Alexei Nechaev, that he would ask the relevant department to review the Chekalin case. He indicated that the core issue was the presented material, and that a special examination by the Federal Tax Service would be requested before any action is taken while matters are resolved.

without internet

The Moscow prosecutor’s office reported on the Telegram channel that the bloggers deny the charges. The prosecution plans to ask the court to impose a ban on certain activities for Chekalin as a restraining measure.

Before the court session, Lerchek posted a farewell message on Instagram, thanking followers for their seven years together. The post noted that the page felt like a personal space and that Lerchek’s family would miss the audience, while she stated that she could not comment on the situation or predict when she would be contacted again.

RIA Novosti later reported that the Savelovsky Court prohibited Chekalina from using the Internet. The judge granted the request to impose a restraining measure restricting certain actions, the agency quoted the court as saying.

The court barred Chekalina from communicating with witnesses or accomplices other than close relatives and limited other channels of communication, including mail and telephone, with the exception of emergency calls. Movement was not restricted for the time being.

Chekalina argued that these restrictions were excessive and asked the court to allow continued use of social networks, noting her family blog about their children was a small business and a primary source of income. She said she no longer knew how to earn money otherwise.

Similar restrictions were imposed on Artem Chekalin. He faced the same prohibition on contact with witnesses and on using mail, phone, and internet services. An attorney for the couple suggested that some daily tasks such as taking children to activities or shopping would become difficult under the new rules.

According to Telegram channel Shot, the couple quickly hired someone to manage their Instagram accounts in the wake of the court decision. Reporters added that the bloggers employ a large team to support their online presence.

First criminal case

The current case marks the second against the Chekalins. On March 7, Lerchek and her husband faced tax evasion charges. Researchers say that from July 2020 to July 2022 the Chekalins used a simplified tax regime and took income from fitness events without paying about 300 million rubles to the treasury. The arrangement allegedly involved redirecting income through Valeria’s individual entrepreneurship and other relatives, creating a division of labor to minimize taxes.

Valeria, known online as Lerchek, has a substantial following on social media with about 10 million Instagram followers. The investigation continues to assess the full extent of the financial activities connected to the case.