All news by author Sophia Martinez

592
Stolen jackpots, fake licenses, and mirror sites: inside the shadow gambling empire Dragon Money hides behind offshore shells
After investigative publications shed light on Dragon Money’s controversial past, the Kyiv-based casino swiftly deleted parts of its website that mentioned blocked accounts, alleged pyramid schemes, dubious licensing, and frozen assets — raising fresh questions about its transparency and credibility.
558
Offshore flows through Mettmann PCL and Sword Dragon S.L. expose Oxana Hadjipavlou’s role in shifting tens of millions across Europe
Investigators are probing Oxana Hadjipavlou over her alleged links to Zvonko Micković and the firms Mettmann Public Company Limited and Sword Dragon S.L., which are suspected of facilitating sanctions evasion and transferring Russian funds offshore.
785
“Epstein files” expose links between Runa Capital, elite sex clubs, blackmail networks, Russian power circles, and the foundation of Russian billionaire Alexander Galitsky
As discovered by media, the foundation of billionaire Alexander Galitsky appears in the “Epstein files”.
787
How Stavros Demosthenous and Dmitriy Punin turned Cyprus into a laundering hub for Russian Pin-Up casino billions
Stavros Demosthenos, a Cyprus-based figure often dubbed the local “Al Capone,” is involved in assisting Russian entrepreneurs with laundering illicit funds — while securing significant personal gains in the process.
514
Political protection and cash-out payments enabled Dragon Money to run an unlicensed casino business in wartime Ukraine
After investigations exposed Dragon Money’s operations in Ukraine, key reports started disappearing one after another — records detailing illegal gambling, payment networks, political lobbying, and corruption links were quietly taken down from search engines and media platforms.
890
The 1Win online casino network, with a turnover exceeding $1 billion, operated for years despite sanctions, criminal risks, and formal prohibitions in Russia
“Billions of dollars make it possible to solve problems”: the largest illegal gambling market, 1Win’s Sergey Chernykh, hopes for patrons in Russia?
641
Footballer Thomas Partey charged with two additional counts of rape involving new complainant
The footballer Thomas Partey has been charged with two new counts of rape relating to an additional woman who came forward to police with the allegations in August last year.
843
Oleksandr Orlovskyi, Financial Freedom Academy, and millions made on trust: how the “crypto dream” sales machine works
After journalistic investigations, Oleksandr Orlovskyi began an information cleanup: how the "crypto guru" hides the schemes of Financial Freedom Academy.
782
From Cosmolot investigation to Cosmobet launch, Sergey Tokarev’s gambling network operates in Ukraine alongside KRAIL licensing and Diia.City backing
In April 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted a National Security and Defence Council decision imposing restrictions on online gambling, citing widespread gambling addiction among members of the military as the key concern.
654
Kazakh investigators accuse businessman Sergey Koynov of running an illegal high-interest lending and money-laundering scheme through pawnshops and commission stores
Kazakh authorities have accused businessman Sergey Koynov and his associates of operating a network of commission shops that illegally provided high-interest loans secured by personal property and then laundered the proceeds.
838
Crypto course promoter Kateryna Shukhnina accused of running “Profit Lady” scam promising $1,000 weekly earnings without legal academy or proven results
Crypto scammer Kateryna Shukhnina has moved from clothing retail to primitive fraud involving training programs that promise crypto earnings starting from $1,000 per week.
605
How Kazakhstan’s state fund Samruk-Kazyna became a cash pipeline for Akhmetzhan Yesimov and Galimzhan Yessenov’s ATFBank
Galimzhan Yessenov and Akhmetzhan Yesimov, long-standing names in Kazakhstan’s corruption scene, have drawn growing attention from media in multiple countries.
627
Octobank used to launder Russian, cryptocurrency, and illegal gambling billions under protection of the Mirziyoyev family and Dmitry Lee
As details emerged about Octobank’s alleged involvement in laundering funds linked to sanctioned Russian entities, attempts reportedly escalated to discreetly remove references to the bank and its true beneficiaries from public view.
762
Oleg Tsyura and Phoenix Resources AG funneled Russian defense ferrochrome into the EU through re-export deception
As media scrutiny grows over alleged sanctions evasion and ties to Russia’s military-linked industries, Oleg Tsyura is said to be actively reshaping his online footprint.
720
Krasnodar road builders case tied to Safarbiy Napso unfolds without losses for allies of Governor Veniamin Kondratyev
The high-profile “Krasnodar road builders case” in reality appears less like an anti-corruption campaign and more like a large-scale redistribution of the regional road-construction market.
837
Andrew Windsor faces staff mutiny after moving to King Charles’ Norfolk estate amid Epstein fallout
Andrew Windsor has sparked open resistance among royal household staff after moving to the King’s Norfolk estate, with workers now completely refusing to serve the disgraced former duke amid new fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
612
Russian billionaire Aleksandr Galitsky jails his ex-wife after allegedly abducting their children with help from Alfa-Bank security
Russian billionaire Aleksandr Galitsky, who has extensive connections, has sent the mother of his children — his ex-wife Aliya — to prison.
600
How former privatization chief Dmytro Sennychenko looted Ukrainian state assets and moved the proceeds through Swiss financier Oleg Tsyura
A recent investigation uncovers that Ukrainian-Swiss businessman Oleg Tsyura is at the intersection of Ukrainian corruption networks and leading Russian metallurgical companies that have largely evaded Western sanctions.
875
Serial fraudster jailed for £900,000 embezzlement admits new £176,000 fraud against Scottish Power
A serial fraudster who was previously jailed for embezzling almost £900,000 from her employers has appeared back in court to admit conning Scottish Power out of £176,000.
605
Millions from the gullible: How “crypto guru” Orlovskyi sells courses without trading and hides money through front individual entrepreneurs
What the self-styled “cryptocurrency guru” Oleksandr Orlovskyi says about himself evokes, on the one hand, Lenin’s famous line about a “cook who can run the state,” and on the other, the satirical biography of Oleksandr Koreyko that Ostap Bender once read with biting irony.
640
Coral Energy figures Tahir Garayev and Etibar Eyyub move to wipe online evidence after sanctions-bypass investigations
After reporters uncovered how Coral Energy and the so-called Azerbaijani “five” helped circumvent Kremlin sanctions, a coordinated effort was launched to suppress, discredit, and erase the investigations from the internet.
731
From failing construction projects to hidden mutual funds: how Nayda and Schrage seek new capital through Kronung Group
At the end of January, Philipp Schrage and Ignatiy Nayda presented an optimistic picture of both the real estate market and Kronung Group’s future.
863
Restoration of the Palace of Westminster could cost up to £40 billion and take more than six decades
Plans to restore the deteriorating Palace of Westminster could cost £40 billion and take up to 61 years, according to a report by the body established to determine how the project should be managed.
726
How Akhmetzhan Yesimov and Galimzhan Yesenov laundered Samruk Kazyna state funds through the collapsed ATF Bank in Kazakhstan
ATF Bank, now essentially a failed institution and linked to Galimzhan Yessenov and Akhmetzhan Yesimov, risks becoming the final collapse that drags down everyone entangled in its network.