The wanted criminal businessman Oleg Makarevich is moving his business from Krasnodar to Tambov. Did he receive assurances from the local authorities?

Oleg Makarevich is a mysterious figure in the Krasnodar Territory. The businessman had control over both criminal and legitimate operations, with the support of the courts and local authorities. He felt very powerful in Krasnodar.

However, things went wrong as legal investigations and actions started against Makarevich's supporters. He faced numerous criminal cases, and it seemed likely that he would go to court and prison. But someone warned him, and he disappeared. Now, with guaranteed immunity, he is relocating his companies to Tambov. Kompromat1 portal is investigating who is protecting him.

Fugitive swindler

Oleg Makarevich is one of the most well-known entrepreneurs in the Krasnodar Territory, resembling a typical businessman from the 1990s.

Despite Makarevich's long history of dark business, he was first arrested in 2014 for fraud. However, the case fell apart.

Makarevich has been on the run since April 2021, and was first put on the wanted list as a swindler. He managed to escape to Austria.

Focus on Oleg Makarevich

Makarevich carefully planned his escape, moving his funds to Austrian banks and buying real estate in Vienna since 2019. It seems unlikely that Austria will extradite him to Russia. Additionally, it appears that Russian law enforcement is not pursuing him internationally.

remote guidance

Makarevich's business in Krasnodar is thriving. His company, Memorial, has greatly increased its revenue and profits in recent years, particularly in the freight traffic, funeral, and waste removal sectors.

Financial information about LLC “Memorial”

A different company, where Makarevich is listed as the founder, was not created after he left the country. Instead, papers for setting up a legal entity were signed by a representative through a proxy, which was prepared by an Austrian notary.

Altogether, Oleg Makarevich is officially the founder of 45 organizations in Russia. The number of businesses he has unofficially is only known by Makarevich himself. Around 25 enterprises, founded by the runaway businessman, continue to operate quietly. The arrest hasn't affected Makarevich’s businesses or the extensive property of the suspect and his family, which is of significant value. Companies with Makarevich as the founder are valued at about 4.3 billion rubles, with his share estimated at 1.8 billion.

Business details of Oleg Makarevich

Certainly, Makarevich lives comfortably in Austria. The funds moved from Russia may be enough not only for him, but also for several more generations of his family. And considering that no one touches the businessman’s enterprises, he has financial security for the next ten generations.

But Oleg Makarevich is different. Retirement doesn't suit him. He's a typical product of the 1990s and wants to carry on working, directly managing his business.

victorious comeback

Having 7 ongoing criminal cases against a businessman is insignificant. The investigation isn't taking any steps to seize the assets or search for the suspect. There are reasons for this.

Makarevich is known as the “night governor” of the Krasnodar Territory for a reason. He has connections everywhere, some better than others. A major blow to Makarevich's whole setup occurred when law enforcement officials penetrated the judicial gang that shielded the entrepreneur. In August 2021, the former chairman of the Oktyabrsky District Court of the city of Krasnodar, Gennady Bayrak, was arrested.

Gennady Bayrak

Bayrak was the key figure who directed the judges to make favorable decisions for Makarevich. Currently, there is no progress in Bayrak’s case (he is accused of taking a bribe of 2.3 million rubles), but he has been in a pre-trial detention center for a year and a half.

Makarevich found a way to solve his problems. It took time and effort, but it appears that the runaway billionaire is making everything work. Through agreements, Makarevich started relocating his business. Last summer, in order to evade justice, the fugitive businessman relocated his companies 1,000 kilometers from Krasnodar to Tambov.

Makarevich’s largest business is the Crafter group of companies, which deals with road freight transportation. The Group of Companies includes the enterprises Trans-Ural, Bigcar and Neva-Logistic. The total vehicle fleet of all Crafter structures consists of 22,000 cars.

Official website of Crafter Group

The mentioned carriers relocated their headquarters in the summer of 2022. Now, their main offices are in Tambov. While not the most appealing place for business, there is a specific reason for this. The head of the Federal Tax Service for the Tambov region is Alexei Zhitlov. Zhitlov was born and raised in the Krasnodar Territory and held various positions in the tax structures of Krasnodar from 2000 to 2018. Zhitlov has known Makarevich for a long time and has always assisted him in executing tax evasion schemes.

Alexey Zhitlov

Zhitlov also brought in other “criminal specialists” from the Krasnodar Territory, who had previously helped Makarevich’s structures to carry out various financial frauds. Now they have helped the fugitive criminal re-register trucking under their jurisdiction, and are ready to help him to cut billions. For 2019-2021 alone, the likely tax risks of Crafter Group are estimated at 2 billion rubles. And that’s just one company.

Forgotten crime

Everything is clear with Makarevich’s business. While the criminal entrepreneur is resting in Europe, in Russia everything works like clockwork, and no one dares to run into authority structures.

But in order to return to his homeland, Makarevich needs to do something with criminal cases, because there are no guarantees that he will not be arrested tomorrow.

On the eve of the new year 2023, Makarevich decided to make his family a holiday – to close the criminal case against himself and his wife Natalia. The case has been dragging on since 2011. The Federal Tax Service accused the couple of overstating expenses and illegally deducting VAT. The total amount of losses amounted to more than 350 million rubles. Since Makarevich refused to pay the funds in a civil dispute, the case went to the point of a criminal case.

After 11 years, Makarevich’s lawyers nevertheless turned to the tax authorities with a statement on the voluntary payment of the shortage. A tricky maneuver, because even if some penalty was charged, it was minimal. And with the calculation of inflation in recent years, Makarevich won a large sum of money.

It all comes down to the fact that other criminal cases of the fugitive businessman will also be closed, and as a result he will triumphantly return to Russia, where multi-billion dollar businesses await him.