The 51-year-old figure described as a gypsy baron, Nikolai Sharkozy, is noted in reports as a distant relative of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Investigative outlets in Russia reported that he faced accusations of organizing a criminal society, linked to Article 210, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The coverage appeared in Kommersant and other major outlets.
Sharkozy and his 48-year-old associate, Nina Pavlovskaya, have been in custody since the summer of 2022, facing charges that include theft from pensioners. As the inquiry progressed, authorities uncovered a broader network, identifying a brigade of phone scammers and other robbers operating under the leadership of the couple.
The Moscow Gagarinsky District Court extended the restraining order against both Sharkozy and Pavlovskaya. In the latest court actions, Pavlovskaya remains in a pre-trial detention facility, while Sharkozy was placed under house arrest due to medical reasons.
Sharkozy is described as a Ukrainian citizen who originated from the Nikolaev region. Reports indicate his entry into fraudulent activity began in 2021, specifically targeting elderly pensioners through deceptive schemes.
Kommersant and other sources identify Nikolai Sharkozy as part of the most influential Gypsy family bearing the Sharkozy name, with claimed descent from Hungarian Roma lineages. Historical accounts note that members of this family have resided across Europe, including Russia, for many generations. In France, media links have been made between Sharkozy and a distant connection to former President Nicolas Sarkozy, underscoring a web of asserted ties that spanned continents and eras. These assertions have been weighed by observers and cited in reports from authoritative outlets, with attribution to the reporting in Kommersant.