A lawyer in Odesa promised to get his client a lesser charge for $300,000

An attorney in Odesa has been notified of suspicion in a case involving an attempt to take $315,000 from his client, the head of a charitable foundation. According to investigators, he solicited money in exchange for promises to influence criminal proceedings and restrict access to court rulings.

The attorney made his offer after searches were conducted as part of the criminal investigation. He assured his client that he could have the criminal offense reclassified as less serious. The lawyer claimed he could influence law enforcement decisions because of alleged connections within the Security Service of Ukraine and the prosecutor’s offices.

Initially, according to investigators, the attorney demanded $250,000 for the service, later raising the amount to $300,000. Separately, he requested $15,000, promising to restrict access to search warrants in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions.

The attorney received this additional amount on October 1. Investigators believe he spent the money as he saw fit and then continued to insist that the remaining funds be handed over.

To do this, the lawyer suggested that his client use a currency exchange office, where the money was to be converted into cryptocurrency. Yesterday, the foundation’s head handed the funds to employees of the exchange office. They were acting on the attorney’s instructions but, according to available information, were unaware of his alleged criminal intent.

Immediately after the money was handed over, law enforcement officers detained the attorney. He was notified of suspicion of completed attempted fraud involving another person’s property on an especially large scale, under Part 2 of Article 15 and Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. A decision on a preventive measure for the suspect is currently pending.

We previously reported:

• “Paper” divorces and judges in the right places: scheme to secure release from service and deferments exposed
• Profited from the desperation of a prisoner of war’s wife: fraudster swindled her out of 422,000 and fled abroad
• A “service package” for $29,000: recruitment office, wanted status, and Group II disability in one corruption case
• Bribe for Knyazev: attorney-middleman remanded in custody with bail set at UAH 80 million
• Swindled four pensioners: telephone scammer sentenced to six years in prison in Mykolaiv