Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov Explained

Birth Date:1949 1, df=yes
Birth Name:Alimzhan Tursunovich Tokhtakhounov
Birth Place:Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union

Alimzhan Tursunovich Tokhtakhounov (Russian: Алимжан Турсунович Тохтахунов; born 1 January 1949) is a Russian businessman, suspected criminal, and former sportsman. He is accused in relations with organized crime and bribing of figure skating judges in the 2002 Winter Olympics.[1] His nickname is thought to be "Taiwanchik" (Russian: Тайванчик|italic=unset|translation=Little [[Taiwanese people|Taiwanese]]),[2] which refers to his distinctly Asiatic, as opposed to European, facial features.[3] He is wanted by FBI since 2013 for a sophisticated money laundering scheme. As of 2022 he hides in Russia. United States Department of State listed him as wanted and offered reward for up to USD 4 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.[4]

Biography

Tokhtakhounov was born to a Uyghur family in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, in 1949. In his early years, he was an amateur football player, playing for junior team of Pakhtakor in some seasons. His attempts to continue his career in CSKA Moscow failed and he soon ceased to play. Tokhtakhounov was twice imprisoned: in 1972 and in 1985 for "parasitism".

In 1989, he moved to Germany. He became a citizen of Israel and was allegedly involved with international arms sales with the Western Group of Forces and an Arab country.[5]

In the early 1990s, he settled in Paris, France. There he was soon accused in committing illegal business deals and smuggling of hardware from Germany. He was also reported to have relations with the Russian mafia, including ethnic Georgian mobster Tariel Oniani. After his residence permit in France expired, French authorities refused to renew his residence permit and subsequently he moved to Italy.[5]

In 2002, Tokhtakhounov was accused in bribery of ice skating judges in the 2002 Winter Olympics.[6] He was arrested in Italy by US request, but the Italian court denounced the extradition bid and freed Tokhtakhounov.[5] After he was released from detention in Italy, he moved to Russia.[5]

In Russia, he was investigated about the legality of his Russian citizenship.

He is notably close to professional Russian tennis players. For instance, a 2002 article in the Belgium daily La Libre Belgique[7] reported on interviews of Russian players following Tokhtakhounov's arrest in Italy: Yevgeny Kafelnikov defended his "friend", Marat Safin refused to discuss a topic that was "not his problem", while Anna Kournikova commented "I have heard of this man. But I don't think I should talk about it. I am Russian and I will have to go back there".[8]

The United States has a current arrest warrant out for him on fraud-related charges.[9] In 2010, Alimzhan featured in the 2010 documentary Thieves by Law.[10] He lives openly in Russia.[11]

In November 2010, Russian tax authorities stated that Taiwanchik had not paid 115,000 rubles in taxes on his estate in the elite village of Lapino beyond the Moscow Ring Road west of Moscow near the Rublevo-Uspenskoye Highway Route A106.[5] [12]

FBI investigation

In 2013, Tokhtakhunov was charged with running an illegal gambling ring based in the United States.[13]

According to ABC News,[14] he was caught up in an FBI investigation of "a sophisticated Russian organized crime money-laundering network that operated out of unit 63A in Trump Tower in New York." According to federal prosecutors, "his is the top of the top of the top in organized crime in Russia."[15]

The FBI investigation led to a federal grand jury indictment of more than 30 people, including Vadim Trincher, Molly Bloom, Helly Nahmad, and Tokhtakhounov, who escaped arrest and remains a fugitive from American justice.[16] For his support of the illicit operation, Tokhtakhunov allegedly received more than $12 million by the Taiwanchik-Trincher Organization from December 2011 to February 2013.[17] [18] [19]

The U.S. State Department is offering a $4 million reward for Tokhtakhunov's arrest.[20]

Personal

Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov hides in Russia. He lives in Lapino at Rublovka village which is located near the Rublevo-Uspenskoye highway (Russian: Рублево-Успенское шоссе) Route A106 beyond the Moscow Ring Road west of Moscow.[5] [12] [21] [22] [23]

Family

In 2013 he was sued by young 24 years old Yulia Malik with whom he previously had a relationship and fathered 2 daughters. Mrs. Yulia Malik asked the court to return her daughters back from Tokhtakhunov to hear.[24] The court have allegedly sided with her.

Tokhtakhunov has 4 children, one son, and three daughters. the oldest one which is Lola. As of 2019 she was living in the US.[25] His son Dmitry was born out of wedlock. Dmitry had 2 children born in 2019.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Taivanchik Hearing Ordered to Stay Put . The St Petersburg Times . Andrew Dampf . Associated Press . 13 August 2002 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120204224428/http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=7837 . 4 February 2012.
  2. Book: Bensinger, Ken. Red Card: How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World's Biggest Sports Scandal. New York. Simon & Schuster. 2018. 22. 9781501133909.
  3. News: Kramer . Andrew E. . Glanz . James . 2013-06-01 . In Russia, Living the High Life; in America, a Wanted Man . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-01 . 0362-4331.
  4. Web site: Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov . 2022-07-01 . United States Department of State . en-US.
  5. News: Такташев . Рустам (Taktashev, Rustam) . Дом Тайванчика на Рублевке арестуют из-за долга в 115 тыс. рублей: Алимжан Тохтахунов, известный как Тайванчик, попал в поле зрения налоговых органов. . Taiwanchik's house on Rublyovka will be arrested due to a debt of 115 thousand rubles: Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, known as Taiwanchik, came to the attention of the tax authorities. . ru . . 12 November 2010 . 31 March 2022 . 25 December 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101225112417/http://www.gzt.ru/topnews/accidents/-dom-taivanchika-na-rublevke-arestuyut-iz-za-dolga-/329301.html.
  6. Toobin . Jeffrey . Jeffrey Toobin . Trump's Miss Universe Gambit . The New Yorker . 19 February 2018 . 27 February 2018 . 19 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180219123531/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/26/trumps-miss-universe-gambit.
  7. Web site: Anna a peur de Tokhtakhounov. La. Libre.be. 16 October 2017.
  8. News: Dillman. Lisa. Russian Tennis Players Wary of Mob Talk. 22 March 2017. LA Times. 2 August 2002.
  9. https://archive.today/20121212001725/http://www.interpol.int/Wanted-Persons/(wanted_id)/1993-31998 "Wanted Persons - Tokhtakhounov, Alimzhan"
  10. Web site: Ganavim Ba Hok. 16 October 2017. 16 October 2017. www.imdb.com.
  11. News: In Russia, Living the High Life; in America, a Wanted Man. 2 June 2013. The New York Times. 1 June 2013. Andrew E. Kramer. James Glanz.
  12. Web site: Постановление Правительства РФ от 17 ноября 2010 г. N 928 «О перечне автомобильных дорог общего пользования федерального значения» (с изменениями и дополнениями) . Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 17 November 2010 N 928 "On the list of public roads of federal significance" (as amended) . ru . Garant (GARANT.RU) . 17 November 2010 . 31 March 2022 . 1 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220401020331/https://base.garant.ru/199775/.
  13. News: U.S. Seeks Arrest of Reputed Russian Mobster . . 17 April 2013 . 16 October 2017 . 18 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180818120502/https://old.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/us-seeks-arrest-of-reputed-russian-mobster/478756.html.
  14. News: Ross . Brian . Mosk . Matthew . Russian mafia boss still at large after FBI wiretap at Trump Tower: In 2013, feds launched an investigation a few floors below the Trump residence. . . 21 March 2017 . 16 October 2017.
  15. Web site: Rosenberg . Rebecca . 2013-04-25 . Art gallery was 'mobbed' . 2022-07-07 . New York Post . en-US.
  16. News: Kramer . Andrew E. . Glanz . James . 2013-06-01 . In Russia, Living the High Life; in America, a Wanted Man . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-07 . 0362-4331.
  17. News: Dobrovolskaya . Lily . Flight of the Monarch: US Gov't Contracted Airline Once Owned by Criminals with Ties to Russian Mob . . 27 November 2020 . 31 March 2022.
  18. News: Two Defendants Sentenced for Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy with Russian-American Organized Crime Enterprise Operating International Sportsbook That Laundered More Than $100 Million . . 30 April 2014 . 31 March 2022.
  19. News: Rashbaum . William K. . 2013-11-12 . Scion of Art Family, in Court, Admits Role With a Gambling Ring . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-07-07 . 0362-4331.
  20. Web site: Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov . 2022-07-07 . United States Department of State . en-US.
  21. News: Команда «Проекта» (Project team) . ШОССЕ В НИКУДА: Путеводитель по Рублевке, главной дороге России . HIGHWAY TO NOWHERE: Guide to Rublyovka, the main road in Russia . ru . Proekt (proekt.media) . 6 February 2020 . 31 March 2022.
  22. News: Команда «Проекта» (Project team) . Карта Рубловки от "ШОССЕ В НИКУДА: Путеводитель по Рублевке, главной дороге России" . Map of Rublovka from "HIGHWAY TO NOWHERE: Guide to Rublyovka, the main road in Russia" . ru . Proekt (proekt.media) . 6 February 2020 . 31 March 2022.
  23. News: Команда «Проекта» (Project team) . Где живут криминальные авторитеты Карта Рубловки от "ШОССЕ В НИКУДА: Путеводитель по Рублевке, главной дороге России" . Where crime bosses live: Map of Rublovka from "HIGHWAY TO NOWHERE: Guide to Rublyovka, the main road in Russia" . ru . Proekt (proekt.media) . 6 February 2020 . 31 March 2022.
  24. Web site: Бизнесмен Алимжан Тохтахунов в суде поделит с гражданской женой дочек-двойняшек - Общество . 2022-07-01 . www.eurosmi.ru.
  25. Web site: Кем стали дети Тайванчика . 2022-07-01 . Рамблер/субботний . ru.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.