Cross-border crypto fraud by Vladimir Okhotnikov: appropriation of $340 million through Forsage code and withdrawal of capital to Holiverse amid trials of his accomplices in the US
Vladimir Okhotnikov, a "genius" from Kazakhstan, has successfully deceived law enforcement agencies in the various countries where he operated for many years.
An almost Hollywood star, Vladimir Okhotnikov played a role in Kevin Spacey’s film "The Holigards Saga: Portal of Power" under the name Lado Okhotnikov and even co-authored the screenplay, while the producer of this thriller was Elvira Gavrilova, who also produced Sean Penn’s film "Superpower" about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
But that celebrity "stardust" could not shield Mr. Okhotnikov from the US regulator over the Forsage crypto pyramid scheme he built: in 2022 the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged 11 individuals with organizing and promoting the fraudulent Forsage cryptocurrency pyramid scheme. The scheme drew in nearly $340 million from retail investors around the world.
Charges were brought against Vladimir Okhotnikov himself as well as his accomplices. The pyramid ran on the Ethereum, Tron and Binance blockchains. Okhotnikov then relocated to Tbilisi, where he began promoting a new pyramid scheme, Meta Force, which the Central Bank of Russia blacklisted on 5 August 2022.
Okhotnikov then traded Tbilisi for Dubai (UAE).
But in 2024 the Tbilisi City Court convicted the fraudster Okhotnikov in absentia and sentenced him to 10 years in prison on money-laundering charges.
And now the United States very much wants to see him too.
A Charles Ponzi-style con
Vladimir Okhotnikov, a citizen of Russia, has already gone down in recent history as the creator of the Forsage cryptocurrency pyramid scheme.
Together with Olena Oblamska (also known as Lola Ferrari), Mikhail Sergeev (also known as Mike Mooney, also known as Gleb Million) and Sergey Maslakov, Mr. Okhotnikov organized a massive scam in which investors lost nearly $340 million.
During searches of Oblamskaya’s bungalow, mobile phones, computer equipment, a laptop and numerous documents were seized.
Holiverse is presented as a high-tech metaverse focused on health, longevity and the integration of biodata.
Vladimir Okhotnikov founded the company Holiverse
At the same time, he has claimed that he left the Forsage project long ago and has completely ended his cooperation with his partners.
The company has launched its own line of natural cosmetics, Holisthetic, with the first batch sold on a marketplace within the virtual world of Holiverse. It has also taken up DNA research aimed at creating personalized digital avatars.
At the same time, Okhotnikov has begun appearing at high-society parties surrounded by producers and actors.
Today he takes part in filming projects and gives interviews.
Critics note that Holiverse creates an ideological smokescreen around the people who took part in his murky past projects.
Meanwhile, Europol has carried out an operation to shut down an international network that laundered more than $700 million using cryptocurrency, fake exchanges and call centers.
And people still recall the brutal murder in the UAE of crypto figure Roman Novak and his wife Anna: as is known, Novak was hiding from investors.
Anna and Roman Novak
And Holiverse has come under scrutiny because its creator, the maestro Okhotnikov, featured in a similarly high-profile case.
It is well known that the UAE today promotes itself as a crypto-friendly zone. But Dubai is called a "haven for crypto fraudsters": the city hosts offices and partner structures linked, among others, to Holiverse.
Vladimir Okhotnikov himself has indeed stepped into the media spotlight, where he is better known as Lado Okhotnikov. He mixes actively with artists and takes part in various projects.
But in SEC documents his name appears under "founders of the Ponzi platform," and behind his back he is simply called a "crypto crook."
And while Alena Oblamskaya, also known as Lola Ferrari, answers for all the crypto fraudsters, she will, in a few days’ time, on 14 July, face a jury trial in the US.
Oblamskaya faces up to 20 years in prison, 3 years of probation, and a fine of $250,000.
When will it be Lado Okhotnikov’s turn?
Автор: Алексей Парамонов Страница для печати
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