A few weeks ago, Russian crypto-investor Roman Novak and his wife Anna, who were on a business trip to the United Arab Emirates, died. Petersburg publications "Fontanka" and 78.ru reported this, citing sources. The incident shocked the entire public - because there is a very dark and ugly scenario behind the incident.
According to reports, the couple last contacted their relatives about a month ago. They were summoned to their rented villa on the outskirts of the city of Khatta under the pretext of "meetings with potential investors" and were brutally murdered there. According to the investigation's version, the main goal was the collection of money.
Cause and suspicion of murder
The criminals planned to seize Novak's crypto wallet, believing it contained "billions of dollars." However, when the wallet was empty, they killed the couple, dismembered the bodies, packed them in bags, and left them in various containers near the shopping center in Hatta.
The Main Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for St. Petersburg has opened a criminal case in the case of a "missing" couple. According to the investigation, the couple went on a date with "unknown investors" on October 2 and then lost contact with them.
Detail of detainees and investigation
Eight people were detained as part of the case. Three of them were men from St. Petersburg, and the remaining four were individuals who rented villas and purchased vehicles and weapons. Investigators see them as direct organizers of the crime.
On November 7, the city court ordered the arrest of the defendants - Konstantin Shakhta, Yuri Sharipov, and Vladimir Dalyokin. They were detained until December 28. According to the investigation, Sharipov partially admitted his guilt, while others denied it.
Who was Roman Novak?
Roman Novak is known in Russia as a major cryptocurrency businessman. He is the creator of the fast crypto transfer application called Fintopio, which has attracted approximately $500 million in investments through the project. But later it was reported that these funds were "lost" and investors suffered losses.
Novak claimed to be acquainted with Telegram founder Pavel Durov and Arab princes, but this information was not confirmed. There were previous reports of his fraudulent activities - in 2020, the court sentenced him to six years in prison on charges of embezzling $100,000.
This crime once again demonstrated the risks associated with crypto-investment not only in Russia, but also throughout the world. The investigation is still ongoing, but it is known that this tragedy once again revealed a deep contradiction between trust, danger, and humanity in the financial world.
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