By David Young-
One of the final three members of the Docklands-based group sentenced on last Friday was given a light sentence, this publication believes may need to be sent to the Attorney General for review.
Legal experts will be examining the legal grounds for the soft sentence given to the criminal who was actively involved in the money laundering, yet given a sentence as mild as that given to the driver of the vehicle used to mobilise the gang during their criminal activities.
The criminal activities of the men were exposed following a five-year investigation by the Organised Crime Partnership (OCP) – a joint National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police Service unit.
One of the men was photographed hugging the cash by a member of the gang.
Aurimas Bielskis, 41, of Rope Terrace, Vitalijs Slapkins-Slapkovs, 34, of Basin Approach and Nedas Kiviliauskas, 34, of Northamptonshire, were handed suspended sentences at Kingston Crown Court on Friday and ordered to do community service.
Vitalijs Slapkins-Slapkovs, 34, was listed as a shell company director, along with Nedas Kiviliauskas, 34, and Anastasia Malii, 31, who was a close friend of the Grochiatskij family.
The two main men were seen, along with other members of their criminal network, including Grochiatskij’s wife, Renata Grochiatskaja, 42, opening accounts in banks across London, then depositing tens of thousands of pounds into them at a time. It seems very odd and unjustifiable that he escaped prison.
All three were arrested in June 2018, along with Vohmjanins and Malii. The rest of the network were detained later that year.
Although other members of the gang were jailed, the sentence given to Slapkovs and Kiviliuskas is believed to have been too light, whatever the reasons for the weak sentence.
Judge Shetty, who presided over the case has been contacted by The Eye Of Media.Com to obtain the reasons for the light sentence. Officials at the court did not have the reasons to hand, neither did the National Crime Agency who released the news.
While on bail, Terzyan, Grochiatskij and Bielskis worked together to exploit the Government’s Covid-19 support scheme by claiming fraudulent Bounce Back Loans (BBL) for the various shell companies.
They claimed up to £50,000 a time, generating over £10m in total.
The gang was headed up by Artem Terzyan, 39, of Eastern Quay, Docklands, and neighbour Deivis Grochiatskij, 45, of Wesley Avenue, who set up bank accounts linked to shell companies to launder the money through, investigators discovered.
Money would be sent from one shell company to another in a complex web of transfers, before it was sent out to international accounts held in countries including Germany, Czech Republic, U.A.E, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
The two men also laundered £10m they had generated by claiming fraudulent government Bounce Back Loans (BBLs) for the various shell companies they had set up.
OCP investigators also identified that the group traded in the sale and purchase of luxury pre-owned watches as another way to launder illicit cash.
Andy Tickner, from the OCP, said: “This was a painstaking and complex investigation in which the team analysed reams of financial data and transactions, as well as conducting hundreds of hours of surveillance.
“Ultimately the case proved that Terzyan and Grochiatskij had built a sophisticated,
large-scale money laundering system which saw them transfer £70m worth of criminal cash out of the UK.
“We were also able to build a picture around the structure of the network, as well as members’ individual roles in setting up bogus companies and moving money, both physically between bank accounts.
“This network played a vital role in enabling other criminals to conceal and access their illicit earnings.
“The removal of this service will have been a massive blow to organised criminals in the UK and globally.”
The OCP’s investigation began in October 2017 when surveillance officers watched a handover in North West London, in which a man placed a large bag of cash in an Audi.
Over the next eight months the same Audi travelled extensively around the UK to collect cash from other criminals before returning to Munnings House in Docklands where Terzyan and Grochiatskij lived and ran their criminal operation.
Alexandrs Vohmjanins, 50, of Hermit Road, was designated driver of the Audi and the network’s main cash courier.
In one incident, officers watched as he picked up money in Manchester from Liverpudlian Michael Simpson, 37, who was the cash courier for a different crime group based in northern England.
Terzyan and Grohiatskij were seen, along with other members of their criminal network, including Grochiatskij’s wife, Renata, 42, opening accounts in banks across London, then depositing tens of thousands of pounds into them at a time.
The three were arrested in June 2018, along with driver Vohmjanins and friend Anastasia Malii, 31. The rest of the network were detained later that year.
hile on bail, Terzyan, Grochiatskij and Bielskis exploited the Government’s Covid-19 support scheme by claiming fraudulent Bounce Back Loans (BBL) for the various shell companies up to £50,000 a time.
In December 2021 Terzyan was sentenced to 17 years in prison and Grochiatskij to 16 years.
A financial investigator analysed hundreds of bank accounts controlled by Terzyan and Grochiatskij and discovered that the men had laundered a minimum of £36m in 2017-2018, with £16m of that coming from cash deposits.
While on bail, Terzyan, Grochiatskij and Bielskis exploited the Government’s Covid-19 support scheme by claiming fraudulent Bounce Back Loans (BBL) for the various shell companies up to £50,000 a time.
In December 2021 Terzyan was sentenced to 17 years in prison and Grochiatskij to 16 years.
Driver Vohmjanins was jailed for four years while the others received sentences of two years suspended for two years.
Joshua Loopwood, a retired teacher and researcher on The Eye Of Media’s thintank said: ”it seems incredible that anybody involved in this case would escape prison. Fraud is fraud, and all parties involved really should face jail because they were complicit in the fraudulent activity”
Researcher Hortensia Daniels said: ” Understanding exactly why two people have not been jailed would be useful information to have, but the sentence seems too light, it is worth
Fabian Nworah, a solicitor from Rockstone Law Solicitors, also on this publication’s thinktank said: ” It does not appear fair at all that an individual involved in this case will escape jail. However, it all depends on the detailed facts of the case and the reasoning of the judge in arriving at his decision. It also depends on how the lawyers argued. Judges do make mistakes , which is why many get overruled on appeal or judicial review. It would help to see the transcripts of the case and look at it in greater detail with barristers.
”The maximum sentence for being convicted of fraud by false representation is 10 years imprisonment and a fine. In minor cases, fraud convictions can lead to a smaller fine or community orders. This does not look like a minor case at all”.