Businessman and author of the YouTube channel "Transformer" Dmitry Portnyagin is suspected of tax evasion and money laundering

The Russian Investigative Committee has charged businessman Dmitry Portnyagin with tax evasion in the amount of 124 million rubles, RIA Novosti reports, citing the businessman's lawyer Mikhail Mushailov. According to him, Portnyagin admitted his guilt and reimbursed the amount in full.

The lawyer told TASS that the case against Portnyagin was opened under two criminal articles - tax evasion on an especially large scale and money laundering on an especially large scale. A preventive measure will be chosen for him on April 15.

Russian media reported on Portnyagin's arrest on April 12. The following day, the blogger was questioned by the Investigative Committee (his wife was also questioned, and after the conversation, she was released).

According to investigators, in 2018-2020, Portnyagin and his wife evaded paying taxes by more than 124 million rubles. They later transferred 91 million to the accounts of third legal entities. In addition, due to late payment of taxes, Portnyagin owed 64 million in penalties and fines. At the same time, as specified by the Investigative Committee, investigators have already managed to achieve full compensation for damages.

According to Baza, during interrogation, Portnyagin admitted that in 2018 he divided his income between himself, his wife, and a childhood friend in order to pay taxes using a simplified scheme.

• The day before his arrest, Portnyagin posted on Instagram about the criminal case. He said he was making contact "from the SVO zone" in the Zaporizhia region. The businessman was detained in the Rostov region after crossing the border.
• The day before, Russian media reported that the husband of Elena Blinovskaya, another blogger accused of tax evasion, went to war to “rehabilitate himself.”