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Every state-changing event for Evita Investments (Iurii Gugnin): moderation decisions on community submissions, plus corrections and updates from the news pipeline. URL-based decisions carry three independent witnesses — the original source, an Internet Archive snapshot taken at submission time, and a Solana memo signed by our publicly-disclosed publisher key.

1. #1publishby system:backfill

   2026-05-27 18:52:51Z
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   {"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"dbef8695-8571-421b-86e8-8673e45996df","kind":"publish","page_slug":"evita-investments-iurii-gugnin","published_at":"2026-05-27T18:52:51.494Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"Evita Investments (Iurii Gugnin)","sections":[{"content":"Evita Investments Inc. and Evita Pay Inc. are U.S.-incorporated entities through which Iurii Gugnin, age 38, a Russian citizen and New York resident, operated a cryptocurrency payment processing business. Gugnin held the roles of founder, President, Treasurer, and Compliance Officer of both companies. Evita Pay was registered as a money services business (MSB) with the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and licensed as a money transmitter in the state of Florida. Prosecutors allege that both the FinCEN registration and Florida state license were obtained through materially false statements about the nature of Evita's business and its customer base.","heading":"Background and Corporate Structure","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ Office of Public Affairs — Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/founder-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls"},{"credibility":1,"name":"IRS Criminal Investigation Press Release","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/founder-of-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-with-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls-defrauding-financial-institutions-and-violating-the-bank-secrecy-act"}]},{"content":"On June 9, 2025, a 22-count indictment was unsealed against Iurii Gugnin at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York (Eastern District of New York). The charges include: wire fraud, bank fraud (multiple counts), conspiracy to defraud the United States, violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, failure to implement an effective anti-money laundering (AML) compliance program, failure to file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. The maximum statutory penalties include up to 30 years imprisonment per bank fraud count, and up to 20 years for wire fraud, money laundering, and sanctions violations. Gugnin was arrested and arraigned on June 9, 2025, and was initially ordered detained pending trial. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, with forfeiture matters handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell of the Asset Recovery Section. Investigating agencies included IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).","heading":"Federal Charges and Indictment","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ Office of Public Affairs — Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/founder-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls"},{"credibility":1,"name":"USAO-EDNY Press Release","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/founder-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls"},{"credibility":1,"name":"IRS Criminal Investigation Press Release","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/founder-of-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-with-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls-defrauding-financial-institutions-and-violating-the-bank-secrecy-act"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Unsealed Indictment — Gugnin (PDF, via Willkie Compliance Concourse)","type":"court_filing","url":"https://complianceconcourse.willkie.com/app/uploads/2025/06/20250609-Unsealed-Indictment-Gugnin.pdf"}]},{"content":"According to the indictment, Gugnin operated Evita as a 'covert pipeline' to move funds from foreign clients — primarily Russian nationals and entities — through the U.S. financial system between approximately June 2023 and January 2025. The total alleged transaction volume exceeds $530 million. Gugnin's customers held funds at sanctioned Russian financial institutions including PJSC Sberbank, PJSC Sovcombank, PJSC VTB Bank, JSC Tinkoff Bank, and JSC Alfa-Bank — all of which are subject to U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) blocking sanctions. The primary transaction mechanism involved converting Russian rubles or funds held at sanctioned banks into Tether (USDT), a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin, routing that value across borders, and liquidating the stablecoin into fiat currency through Manhattan-based bank accounts. Prosecutors allege Gugnin repeatedly made false certifications to U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, stating that Evita did not conduct business with Russian entities or sanctioned parties. He also altered invoices and payment documentation to conceal the true origins and destinations of funds.","heading":"Alleged Sanctions Evasion Scheme","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Decrypt — Feds Charge Crypto Founder With Evading US Sanctions, Laundering $500M","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/324391/feds-charge-crypto-founder-with-evading-u-s-sanctions-laundering-500m"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OCCRP — Feds: Russian Laundered Half a Billion Through Manhattan Crypto Firms","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/feds-russian-laundered-half-a-billion-through-manhattan-crypto-firms"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Fincrime Central — U.S. Probes $530 Million Money Laundering and Russian Sanctions Evasions via Evita Crypto Payment Firm","type":"news_article","url":"https://fincrimecentral.com/evita-lurii-gugnin-laundering-crypto-russia/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs Blog — From Moscow to Manhattan","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/from-moscow-to-manhattan-how-a-crypto-payments-company-allegedly-moved-usd-530-million-into-the-us"}]},{"content":"Beyond sanctions evasion, Gugnin is alleged to have facilitated payments by foreign customers to procure sensitive U.S.-made electronics including at least one export-controlled server designed by a U.S. technology company, in violation of U.S. export control laws administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). Additionally, the indictment alleges Gugnin laundered funds originating from a Moscow-based supplier that were used to purchase parts for Rosatom, Russia's state-owned nuclear technology company. These alleged activities implicate not only IEEPA sanctions but also Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The involvement of Rosatom — a strategic state-controlled nuclear enterprise — elevates the national security dimension of the charges.","heading":"Export Control Violations and Rosatom Connection","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ Office of Public Affairs — Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/founder-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls"},{"credibility":1,"name":"IRS Criminal Investigation Press Release","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/founder-of-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-with-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls-defrauding-financial-institutions-and-violating-the-bank-secrecy-act"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinTelegraph — Crypto exec ran a 'covert pipeline for dirty money,' DOJ says","type":"news_article","url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-founder-charged-laundering-253m-sanctioned-russian-banks"}]},{"content":"The indictment further alleges that Evita Pay systematically failed to implement an effective AML compliance program as required for registered money services businesses under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Specific failures alleged include: absence of meaningful customer due diligence or sanctions screening, failure to file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) as required by 31 U.S.C. § 5318, and use of a fraudulently obtained Florida state money transmitter license to induce at least one cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on Evita's behalf. The company's registration with FinCEN was itself alleged to have been secured through materially false representations about its business operations.","heading":"AML and Bank Secrecy Act Failures","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Fincrime Central — U.S. Probes $530 Million Money Laundering and Russian Sanctions Evasions via Evita Crypto Payment Firm","type":"news_article","url":"https://fincrimecentral.com/evita-lurii-gugnin-laundering-crypto-russia/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Comsure Group — Evita Investments executive charged","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.comsuregroup.com/news/evita-investments-executive-charged-with-money-laundering-bank-fraud-and-violations-of-international-sanctions/"}]},{"content":"Investigators recovered digital forensic evidence indicating that Gugnin was aware his activities were illegal and that he sought information about potential exposure. Documented internet searches attributed to Gugnin include: 'how to know if there is an investigation against you', 'evita investments inc. criminal records search', 'Iurii Gugnin criminal records', 'money laundering penalties US', 'am I being investigated?', and 'penalties for sanctions violations EU luxury goods'. Prosecutors cited these search queries as direct evidence of consciousness of guilt.","heading":"Evidence of Awareness and Digital Forensics","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Decrypt — Feds Charge Crypto Founder With Evading US Sanctions, Laundering $500M","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/324391/feds-charge-crypto-founder-with-evading-u-s-sanctions-laundering-500m"},{"credibility":1,"name":"IRS Criminal Investigation Press Release","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/founder-of-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-with-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls-defrauding-financial-institutions-and-violating-the-bank-secrecy-act"}]},{"content":"On approximately April 1, 2026, Gugnin pleaded guilty to a narrower set of charges than those contained in the original 22-count indictment. As part of the plea agreement, he agreed to forfeit over $1.2 million. Sentencing details had not been publicly reported as of May 2026. Plea talks were first reported as underway by MLex prior to the formal plea, with a deal reportedly reached 'in principle' before the formal guilty plea. The case continues to be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.","heading":"Guilty Plea and Forfeiture","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Global Investigations Review — Russian crypto founder agrees to forfeit over $1.2m","type":"news_article","url":"https://globalinvestigationsreview.com/just-sanctions/article/russian-crypto-founder-agrees-forfeit-over-12m"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Lexology — Russian crypto founder agrees to forfeit over $1.2m","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.lexology.com/pro/content/russian-crypto-founder-agrees-to-forfeit-over-12m"},{"credibility":2,"name":"MLex — Evita founder pleads guilty in US to fraud, money laundering for Russian clients","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.mlex.com/mlex/articles/2460862/evita-founder-pleads-guilty-in-us-to-fraud-money-laundering-for-russian-clients"},{"credibility":2,"name":"MLex — Evita founder reaches deal 'in principle' in US cryptocurrency laundering case","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.mlex.com/mlex/financial-crime/articles/2453418"}]},{"content":"Evita Investments and Evita Pay present an extreme regulatory and compliance risk profile. Both entities are the subject of active federal prosecution. The alleged conduct — systematic deception of financial institutions, facilitation of transactions for OFAC-designated entities, export control violations involving nuclear supply chain connections, and willful BSA non-compliance — represents among the most serious categories of financial crime applicable to a crypto payments business. Any financial institution, exchange, or counterparty that processed transactions on behalf of Evita or Gugnin may face regulatory scrutiny regarding their own compliance failures. Tether (USDT) was identified as the primary instrument used in the alleged scheme.","heading":"Regulatory and Compliance Risk Assessment","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs Blog — From Moscow to Manhattan","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/from-moscow-to-manhattan-how-a-crypto-payments-company-allegedly-moved-usd-530-million-into-the-us"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CNBC — Crypto CEO accused of laundering $500 million linked to sanctioned Russian banks","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/09/crypto-russia-laundering.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinJournal — Russian crypto CEO charged in $530M laundering scheme tied to US sanctions","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinjournal.net/news/russian-crypto-ceo-charged-in-530m-laundering-scheme-tied-to-us-sanctions/"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ Office of Public Affairs — Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/founder-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls"},{"credibility":1,"name":"USAO-EDNY Press Release","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/founder-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls"},{"credibility":1,"name":"IRS Criminal Investigation Press Release","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/founder-of-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-with-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls-defrauding-financial-institutions-and-violating-the-bank-secrecy-act"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Unsealed Indictment — Gugnin (PDF, via Willkie Compliance Concourse)","type":"court_filing","url":"https://complianceconcourse.willkie.com/app/uploads/2025/06/20250609-Unsealed-Indictment-Gugnin.pdf"},{"credibility":2,"name":"OCCRP — Feds: Russian Laundered Half a Billion Through Manhattan Crypto Firms","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.occrp.org/en/news/feds-russian-laundered-half-a-billion-through-manhattan-crypto-firms"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Decrypt — Feds Charge Crypto Founder With Evading US Sanctions, Laundering $500M","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/324391/feds-charge-crypto-founder-with-evading-u-s-sanctions-laundering-500m"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CNBC — Crypto CEO accused of laundering $500 million linked to sanctioned Russian banks","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/09/crypto-russia-laundering.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinTelegraph — Crypto exec ran a 'covert pipeline for dirty money,' DOJ says","type":"news_article","url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-founder-charged-laundering-253m-sanctioned-russian-banks"},{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs Blog — From Moscow to Manhattan","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/from-moscow-to-manhattan-how-a-crypto-payments-company-allegedly-moved-usd-530-million-into-the-us"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Fincrime Central — U.S. Probes $530 Million Money Laundering and Russian Sanctions Evasions via Evita Crypto Payment Firm","type":"news_article","url":"https://fincrimecentral.com/evita-lurii-gugnin-laundering-crypto-russia/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Global Investigations Review — Russian crypto founder agrees to forfeit over $1.2m","type":"news_article","url":"https://globalinvestigationsreview.com/just-sanctions/article/russian-crypto-founder-agrees-forfeit-over-12m"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Lexology — Russian crypto founder agrees to forfeit over $1.2m","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.lexology.com/pro/content/russian-crypto-founder-agrees-to-forfeit-over-12m"},{"credibility":2,"name":"MLex — Evita founder pleads guilty in US to fraud, money laundering for Russian clients","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.mlex.com/mlex/articles/2460862/evita-founder-pleads-guilty-in-us-to-fraud-money-laundering-for-russian-clients"},{"credibility":2,"name":"MLex — Evita founder reaches deal 'in principle' in US cryptocurrency laundering case","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.mlex.com/mlex/financial-crime/articles/2453418"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinJournal — Russian crypto CEO charged in $530M laundering scheme tied to US sanctions","type":"news_article","url":"https://coinjournal.net/news/russian-crypto-ceo-charged-in-530m-laundering-scheme-tied-to-us-sanctions/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Comsure Group — Evita Investments executive charged with money laundering, bank fraud, and violations of international sanctions","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.comsuregroup.com/news/evita-investments-executive-charged-with-money-laundering-bank-fraud-and-violations-of-international-sanctions/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"BankInfoSecurity — Cryptohack Roundup: Evita Founder Charged in $530M Case","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/cryptohack-roundup-evita-founder-charged-in-530m-case-a-28676"}],"summary":"Evita Investments Inc. and Evita Pay Inc. are U.S.-registered cryptocurrency payment companies founded by Iurii Gugnin, a Russian citizen residing in New York. In June 2025, Gugnin was charged in a 22-count federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York for allegedly funneling more than $530 million through U.S. banks and crypto exchanges on behalf of customers at sanctioned Russian financial institutions, in violation of U.S. sanctions law, export controls, and Bank Secrecy Act obligations. Gugnin subsequently pleaded guilty in April 2026 to a narrower set of charges and agreed to forfeit over $1.2 million.","timeline":[{"date":"2019-01-01","event":"Evita Investments and Evita Pay allegedly begin operations processing payments for Russian clients, per indictment allegations (approximate start date).","source":"TRM Labs Blog","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/from-moscow-to-manhattan-how-a-crypto-payments-company-allegedly-moved-usd-530-million-into-the-us"},{"date":"2023-06-01","event":"Alleged core scheme period begins: Evita processes more than $530 million in illicit transactions through U.S. banks and exchanges on behalf of customers at sanctioned Russian banks.","source":"DOJ / IRS-CI Press Release","source_url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/founder-of-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-with-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls-defrauding-financial-institutions-and-violating-the-bank-secrecy-act"},{"date":"2025-01-01","event":"Alleged scheme period ends, per indictment (approximately January 2025).","source":"IRS Criminal Investigation Press Release","source_url":"https://www.irs.gov/compliance/criminal-investigation/founder-of-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-with-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls-defrauding-financial-institutions-and-violating-the-bank-secrecy-act"},{"date":"2025-06-09","event":"22-count federal indictment unsealed against Iurii Gugnin in the Eastern District of New York. Gugnin arrested, arraigned, and ordered detained pending trial.","source":"DOJ Office of Public Affairs","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/founder-cryptocurrency-payment-company-charged-evading-sanctions-and-export-controls"},{"date":"2025-06-09","event":"CNBC, Decrypt, CoinTelegraph, and OCCRP publish reporting on the charges.","source":"Decrypt","source_url":"https://decrypt.co/324391/feds-charge-crypto-founder-with-evading-u-s-sanctions-laundering-500m"},{"date":"2026-04-01","event":"Iurii Gugnin pleads guilty to a narrower set of charges. Agrees to forfeit over $1.2 million as part of the plea agreement.","source":"MLex / Global Investigations Review","source_url":"https://globalinvestigationsreview.com/just-sanctions/article/russian-crypto-founder-agrees-forfeit-over-12m"}]},"v":1}

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