4.8 billion diverted from the state budget: how Ibox Bank owner Alyona Shevtsova built an underground gambling empire for money laundering

16 травня 2026 р., 00:12

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4.8 billion diverted from the state budget: how Ibox Bank owner Alyona Shevtsova built an underground gambling empire for money laundering

Alyona Shevtsova (Dehrik), the owner of Ibox Bank, has been placed on the international wanted list in connection with a case involving the alleged organization of illegal online gambling operations and the laundering of more than 4.8 billion hryvnias in illicit proceeds.

This became known from the criminal proceedings of the Bureau of Economic Security №72023000500000071.

According to the investigation, the suspects, among whom the key role was played by the shareholder of Ibox Bank Alyona Shevtsova, along with the Director of the E-commerce Business Department Iryna Tsyhanok and the Financial Monitoring Manager Zoya Nesterovska, organized a criminal group from April 30, 2021, to March 7, 2023.

Since 2022, the women, together with other unidentified individuals, using controlled companies LLC «Pay-Pay», LLC «Polister», LLC «Dzega», LLC «Cygir», LLC «Dastsan», LLC «Rekna», LLC «Kendvit», LLC «Centing», LLC «Spat Tre», LLC «Mitar Stars», LLC «Gamerton», LLC «Ubervald», LLC «Flavon Sport», LLC «Amerton Construction», LLC «Aiking», LLC «Skein Corp», LLC «Zerenpay», conducted online gambling without the appropriate license. The suspects carried out financial operations to legalize the criminal proceeds, totaling 4.81 billion hryvnias.

This is confirmed by the NBU Act №В/25-0014/2660/БТ dated 06.01.2023, which was a result of the audit of JSC «Ibox Bank», revealing that during the establishment of business relations and maintenance of bank accounts of companies that provided information about conducting activities in organizing and holding cybersport and sports poker tournaments, the documents provided by their representatives and further cooperation with the banking institution indicated activities related to organizing gambling, which was known to the employees of JSC «Ibox Bank» and no actions were taken.

The Lychakiv District Court of Lviv decided in March to grant permission for a special pre-trial investigation (in absentia) regarding Shevtsova, Tsyhanok, and Nesterovska.

The investigating judge established that the suspects deliberately evade the investigation, having left Ukraine through the «Yahodyn» checkpoint in March 2023. Since August 2023, they have been internationally wanted, and their whereabouts remain unknown. The court rejected the petition of the suspects’ defenders to establish procedural deadlines for closing the proceedings, indicating that the prosecutor has the right to appeal previous decisions to suspend the investigation at the stage of preparatory judicial proceedings. At the end of April, law enforcement officers in Poland detained Tsyhanok. The issue of her extradition is being resolved.

Антон Бабич

Редактор

Координує роботу редакції та відповідає за оперативність публікацій. Раніше працював у провідних українських виданнях та на телеканалах.