On March 7, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against one of Russia’s most prolific online personalities, Valeria Chekalina, who goes by the alias Lerchek, and her husband Artem. The department’s press service confirmed the development.
“A criminal case has been opened against Valeria Chekalina and her husband Artem Chekalin for involvement in tax evasion and evading taxes from an individual,” the report states.
According to the Investigative Committee, between July 2020 and July 2022 Chekalina earned substantial sums through fitness marathons while remaining registered as a simplified tax system individual entrepreneur with a maximum annual income cap of 150 million rubles. Yet the total earnings during those years exceeded the declared activity, prompting scrutiny.
To avoid shifting to the general tax system, paying VAT, or personal income tax, the blogger allegedly enlisted her husband and other relatives as accomplices. They established individual enterprises, channeling proceeds from fitness marathons into these accounts. The investigators contend that Lerchek deliberately split the business to dodge taxes amounting to more than 300 million rubles.
Law enforcement officers executed searches at the Chekalins’ estate in the Ilyinka cottage community in Krasnogorsk. The family had previously invested in a 400-square-meter home featuring a designer interior. Properties like this now fetch around 30 million rubles in the area. Lerchek’s social media presence had showcased the residence, including a pool, a hookah lounge, a summer terrace, a cinema, a hammam, a massage room, a gym, several bedrooms, and a five-car garage.
Investigators found Tesla and Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the garage, along with expensive jewelry and substantial cash. Mash reported the discovery of a US passport, numerous Russian passports, and eight kilograms of pure 999 carat gold bars valued at roughly 36 million rubles at the home.
The Investigative Committee noted that the identities of the accused have been established and searches were carried out at additional addresses connected to the Lerchek case.
Telegram channel 112 claimed that Valeria and Artem Chekalin are currently under house arrest, despite travel outside the country. Sources suggested information about the so-called black accountant Lerchek could have reached her personal stylist, Elvira Yankovskaya. Last autumn, Lerchek accused Yankovskaya of fraud, alleging the sale of counterfeit branded items as originals to herself and friends.
A joint statement was filed against Yankovskaya, with investigators pursuing charges related to large-scale embezzlement. In February 2023, Yankovskaya’s preventive measure shifted to house arrest.
Just before the searches and the criminal case began, Lerchek shared on social media about a positive experience with visiting the tax service. “It felt like I went to the mall for coffee,” the blogger wrote on Instagram, noting that the Federal Tax Service acted swiftly, helping staff secure a digital signature before leaving Russia.
Chekalin’s attorney, Mikhail Mushailov, told socialbites.ca that his clients had not yet been charged, though the Investigative Committee’s statements suggested otherwise.
“No charges have been filed. A criminal case is being pursued against an unspecified group of people. A case can be brought against an individual, or against someone unknown. In our view, the latter possibility is at play. No punishment awaits Chekalin,” the lawyer explained.
Legal analyst Alexander Dobrovinsky proposed that the case may hinge on prior arrangements and tax evasion tied to a group. If Lerchek is deemed the leader of a criminal network, a prison term of up to six years could be possible.
Valeria Chekalina, 30, hails from Togliatti. A graduate of Moscow State University, she and her husband have run a popular Instagram presence since 2018, boasting more than 10 million followers. The couple’s content centers on fitness, online coaching, and weight-loss marathons, and they are parents to three children.
Forbes has ranked Lerchek among Russia’s best-paid Instagram influencers, placing seventh on its list. In 2021, her profile ranked among the top five most popular Russian accounts on Medialogy, and that year’s earnings were estimated at over 700 million rubles. In interviews, Lerchek has stated that advertising integrations typically paid between 1 and 3 million rubles, and she was reportedly offered around 35 million rubles for a promotional draw two years earlier.