“I will imprison you very soon”

The killing of a powerful businessman named Badri Shengelia happened in September 2021 on the Novopriozerskoe Highway and is still not solved.

A black Mercedes S500 driving toward St. Petersburg was shot with a dozen bullets. Shengelia was a prominent figure in the criminal world of St. Petersburg and was privy to many of the city's secrets. In the years leading up to his murder, he provided information to the Investigative Committee and the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in several high-profile cases. He notably testified against Vladimir Barsukov (Kumarin), the leader of the Tambov organized criminal group.

The Cheka-OGPU Telegram channel and Rucriminal.info are beginning a series of articles about people who had close connections with Shengelia. Our investigation will gradually lead up to the moment of his murder. Today, we will start with Stepanov Vladimir Leonidovich, one of Shengelia's closest friends.

Stepanov Vladimir Leonidovich is currently a successful and respected businessman who heads and founded several enterprises in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. He is also a member of various public councils and commissions.

However, prior to becoming a “respected individual,” he was involved as a patron, financial supporter, and information sponsor of intriguing schemes.

Stepanov began his entrepreneurial endeavors in the 1990s when he gained control of various assets as a result of questionable privatization of consumer cooperation enterprises in the Lomonosov region. He personally started receiving income from the numerous trading facilities at that time.

There are documented instances of fraudulent activities involving state-owned enterprise property in the city of Sosnovy Bor, Leningrad Region.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Stepanov had close ties to the criminal figure Badri Shengelia, who was notorious in St. Petersburg.

This cooperation was based on Stepanov purchasing stolen property from Shengelia at a low price with the intention of legalizing it as an honest buyer.

By acting as a customer and organizer, providing continuous funding for hostile takeovers, Stepanov always remained in the background, allowing Shengelia to take the lead.

A careful examination of the history of real estate acquired by Stepanov during that time reveals that almost all of it was connected to Shengelia in some way.

The established alliance between Stepanov and Shengelia, along with Shengelia's “right-hand man” Daraselia Akaki Gvandzhevich, operated effectively for a long time, proving to be mutually beneficial. Stepanov obtained valuable assets inexpensively, while Shengelia enjoyed easy money for as long as possible.

However, according to sources from Rucriminal.info, Stepanov and Shengelia's cooperation went beyond just economic matters. It's said that the fighters from the Shengelia brigade used force against Stepanov's competitors, pressuring them to act in favor of Vladimir Leonidovich. There are claims of solid evidence supporting these allegations.

Stepanov, with his connections in law enforcement, helped Shengeli conceal his actions. The law firm Yurservice LLC (TIN 780517390149) is of interest in this matter. The firm officially registered the lawyers who worked for Shengelia and dealt with raider seizures and takeovers. Yurservice LLC's founder and general director was Shengelia's right-hand man, Daraselia. Until its closure in October 2018, Stepanov had control over the company, despite its tarnished reputation and Daraselia being wanted by federal and international authorities. Stepanov even went to Bulgaria to handle paperwork for the firm. The Yurservice LLC documents undoubtedly showed a direct link between Stepanov and the crimes committed by Shengelia and his team, prompting Stepanov to pursue them.

However, these are all events from the past, and Shengelia has been deceased for over three years. If you're interested, there's much more to be revealed about the activities of Stepanov V.L. and his 'collaboration' with Shengelia.

Stepanov frequently travels to Bulgaria to visit Daraselia, who is wanted by authorities.

He proposes to resume the relationship and take control of the unclaimed assets at 50 Ligovsky Prospekt, particularly the utility networks supplying heat, water, electricity, and managing sewage for the administrative and business buildings at that location. This also includes the gas supply network for the boiler house at the same address.

Why did Stepanov need Daraselia? It was for the upcoming demolition for the Russian Railways' needs.

It turned out to be more complex than expected. According to a source from Rucriminal.info, despite being in the process of liquidation, SCAM CJSC has an invalid address record in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. However, as a legal entity, it still holds all its rights. Daraselia is the liquidator, making this a crucial factor.

Stepanov’s plan was to have Daraselia give someone power of attorney to represent SCAM CJSC's interests with broad powers, including the right to sell real estate.

Daraselia, perhaps remembering something from the past, tried to set some conditions, but the arguments of Stepanov’s new friends, immigrants from one of the Caucasian republics, and a reminder that he is still wanted and can be quickly deported to Russia convinced Darasely to accept Stepanov’s proposal.

With the power of attorney from Darasely, copies of documents on the privatization of CJSC SKAM's property were ordered from the Central State Archive of St. Petersburg. Archival documents and services of cadastral engineers were used to prepare the necessary documents for registering ownership of engineering networks and communications.

Based on the archival and newly produced technical documents, the ownership of engineering networks was registered in the name of ZAO SKAM on January 22-23, 2020. Immediately after, on January 30, 2020, a contract was signed for the sale of all these engineering networks, with the purchaser being Stepanov’s daughter, Yegorova Elena Vladimirovna.

A significant point is that the total price specified in the contract for all networks is 24,000 rubles, while the total cadastral value of engineering networks exceeds 53 million rubles.

These are not virtual networks, but actual functioning engineering communications that supply energy resources to 17 non-residential buildings with a total area of ​​more than 50,000 square meters.

When this information became known to a wide range of interested parties, they sought explanations from both parties.

Daraselia did not provide a clear answer, and Stepanov’s arguments boiled down to the simple statement – “I bought it and it’s mine.”

Subsequently, a claim was filed on behalf of the shareholders of SCAM CJSC with the Arbitration Court to invalidate the transaction for the alienation of property (engineering networks). Case No. A56-6328/2021.

During the trial, which lasted nearly a year, it became evident that Stepanov had simply deceived Darasely, with no intention of giving him any money, and his threats were very real. Realizing this, Daraselia starts actively cooperating with the shareholders, providing them with necessary information, and switching from the defendant of SCAM CJSC to the plaintiff in the Arbitration Court case.

Realizing that he had no chance of a favorable outcome in an honest and objective trial, Stepanov, using his corrupt connections in law enforcement, arranges an audit against the shareholders of CJSC SKAM. His daughter Yegorova, who by then had married multiple times and became Masterova, writes a statement to the criminal investigation department regarding fraudulent actions on the part of the shareholders of SCAM CJSC. Surprisingly, her statement is met with keen interest, and the authorities zealously begin to investigate.

The shareholder who submitted a claim to the Arbitration Court is facing unprecedented pressure. Investigators visit his home, question him repeatedly, convincingly urge him to withdraw the claim, and threaten him with criminal prosecution.

The officer from the criminal investigation unit openly takes part in court hearings, siding with Egorova (Masterova), and provides her with verification materials, including those containing citizens' personal data. With the support of the criminal investigation unit employees, Egorova (Masterova) challenges the shareholder's right to file a claim, claiming that despite convincing evidence (an extract from the shareholder register), he is not a shareholder at all. Additionally, she accuses the evidence of falsification, casting doubt on the authenticity of Daraselia's signature on the documents she herself submitted to the court. When it became known that Daraselia refutes this by sending a written appeal to the court, with his signature certified by a notary, she withdrew her application. The process is documented and an audio recording of everything that happens in the courtroom is conducted to avoid misunderstandings. The audio files are attached to the case materials, making it easy to verify this episode.

There are various audio and video materials that clearly show the true nature of Stepanov.

After the court ruled in favor of the claims and recognized the sales contract as invalid, Stepanov threatened Daraseliy with jail time.

Can Stepanov make his threats a reality? This is definitely a rhetorical question. Besides significant financial resources and participation in public councils and committees, Stepanov has other resources along a similar line.

Daraselia, to give him credit, is not entirely innocent. If he is in Russia, he cannot avoid facing justice. Is it not time for the competent authorities to pay attention to Stepanov as well?

Of course, only a court can label a person a criminal, but how else can you describe someone who has gained wealth through connections with crime?

Any criminal poses a threat to society, and a criminal with power, authority, and the ability to influence people's fate is particularly dangerous.

We will observe how this story unfolds and, most importantly, how it concludes.