new accusations
A fresh criminal case has been opened against the Chekalins. The charges accuse blogger Valeria, known online as Lerchek, and her husband Artem of large-scale money laundering tied to criminal proceeds, as disclosed by the Moscow Investigative Committee on its Telegram channel.
Investigators say that in April 2021 the couple and their associates laundered more than 130 million rubles obtained from wrongdoing and converted the funds into U S currency. They allege the spouses concealed the origins of the money during the laundering process.
Officials noted that the proceeds were legalized through financial transactions aimed at legitimizing possession, use, and disposal of the funds. The Investigative Committee added that the defendants were already under scrutiny for other economic offenses connected with the 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 during the assessment of losses in a prior tax evasion case involving Valeria and Artem. The court did not specify whether the restraining measures affected cash 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 central 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 restraining measure banning certain activities for Chekalin.
Before the court session, Lerchek posted a farewell message on Instagram. She thanked followers for seven years together and described the page as a personal space. She noted that her family would miss the audience and 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 limiting certain actions, the agency quoted the court as saying.
The court barred Chekalina from communicating with witnesses or accomplices other than close relatives and restricted other channels of communication, including mail and telephone, with the exception of emergency calls. Movement was not restricted at that time.
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 daily tasks such as taking children to activities or shopping would become difficult under the new rules.
According to the Telegram channel Shot, the couple quickly hired a manager to oversee their Instagram accounts after the court decision. Reporters added that the bloggers rely on a sizeable team to maintain their online presence.
First criminal case
The current case marks the second proceeding against the Chekalins. On March 7, Lerchek and her husband faced tax evasion charges. Investigators say that from July 2020 to July 2022 the Chekalins used a simplified tax regime and received income from fitness events without paying about 300 million rubles to the treasury. The arrangement allegedly involved routing income through Valeria’s individual entrepreneurship and other relatives, creating a division of labor to minimize taxes.
Valeria, widely followed online as Lerchek, remains a prominent social media figure with tens of millions of followers across platforms. The investigation continues to assess the full extent of the financial activity connected to the case.