An entrepreneur is accused of stealing 80 million rubles from the Social Insurance Fund (FSS) during an audit of 80 regions.

      16:45 December 24 Nina Serebryakova

      Roman Yarovitsyn, Kommersant from the website iy.kommersant.ru

      A Moscow court has referred the criminal case brought against businessman Dmitry Kartushin to the judicial authority in Nizhny Novgorod. Lawyers for the 46-year-old entrepreneur, who formerly headed the company Geo-Gid, actively sought such a change of jurisdiction. He has been charged with especially large-scale fraud and legalization (laundering) of funds. According to the investigation, in 2014, while serving as director of Geo-Gid, Mr. Kartushin concluded an agreement with the Social Insurance Fund (FSS) in the amount of 220 million rubles. The subject of that agreement was a technical and economic audit of nearly a thousand real estate objects owned by the FSS and located in 85 regions of Russia. Investigators believe the contract price was artificially inflated and about 80 million rubles were stolen. The end of the criminal activity is dated December 25, 2015, which indicates the imminent expiration of the ten-year statute of limitations for the fraud-related episode. The criminal case was opened in the summer of 2024; at first Mr. Kartushin participated in it as a witness, but in October 2024 he was detained and remanded in custody, Kommersant reports.

      Later, an additional episode concerning money laundering appeared in the investigation materials. The investigation established that in the period from January 15, 2015 to December 29, 2016 Dmitry Kartushin made transfers of money from Geo-Gid’s accounts to the accounts of the organization “Vershina,” affiliated with him. These operations were conducted through the Nizhny Novgorod bank “Association.” At a recent court hearing the question of extending Mr. Kartushin’s detention was considered. The prosecutor argued in favor of extending the preventive measure, while the defense contended that further detention was unnecessary because investigative actions had been completed and their client did not intend to abscond. The lawyers also pointed out that the statute of limitations for the fraud charge, on the basis of which the preventive measure was earlier chosen, was approaching its end, which in their view made detention in a pretrial detention center unjustified. Nevertheless, Judge Irina Gorbulina upheld the prosecution’s position and granted the prosecutor’s motion.

      Alexander Stolpovsky, who is Dmitry Kartushin’s lawyer, set out his version of events: “The criminal prosecution of his client was the result of a frame-up by his former subordinates and colleagues,” says Alexander Stolpovsky.

      According to the defense lawyer, former employees of Geo-Gid established their own legal entity with the same specialization and drew Mr. Kartushin’s clients to themselves. A complaint filed with law enforcement about this did not lead to their being held accountable. Then, wishing to take revenge, these former employees sent numerous appeals to the investigative authorities of Nizhny Novgorod seeking to initiate a criminal case against Dmitry Kartushin, but none were satisfied due to the absence of signs of a crime. However, one such appeal was nonetheless accepted for consideration in Moscow. Dmitry Kartushin is known as the founder of the organization Geo-Gid, which dealt with land management, cadastral works and the registration of rights to real estate objects. In addition, he advised well-known Nizhny Novgorod entrepreneurs on matters related to land plots and property.

      In 2016 Dmitry Kartushin was attacked: two unknown men with knives attacked him in the vestibule of an office on Piskunova Street. The then head of Geo-Gid was able to defend himself against the attackers with a briefcase, but sustained stab wounds. Part of that crime was solved by Investigative Committee investigators several years later. In 2023 in Nizhny Novgorod four former employees of the Moscow private security company Pravoporyadok were sentenced to terms of 12 to 13 years; they were recognized as the perpetrators of the attempted contract killing of Mr. Kartushin. They conducted surveillance on him and directly participated in the attack. Nevertheless, the organizer of that crime and his motives were not established. At present a new episode has emerged in the investigation concerning an attempt on the life of another entrepreneur in Moscow, and there is a new defendant in the case.

      We recall that on November 23, 2025 the former acting head of administrative affairs of the government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Yuri Bortnikov, was arrested by decision of the Moscow District Court. He is accused of the illegal spending of 5.3 million rubles from the budget in 2023 on the repair of a municipal apartment.

      More news about the event:

      The case of businessman Kartushin transferred from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod

      The criminal case against former official and entrepreneur Dmitry Kartushin has been transferred to Nizhny Novgorod. 21:12 December 24, 2025 vGorodeN.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      The investigation of businessman Kartushin’s case transferred to the Nizhny Novgorod court

      He is accused of fraud.

      The criminal case of entrepreneur Dmitry Kartushin, a subject of a fraud investigation, was transferred from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod. 21:08 December 24, 2025 Newsroom24.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      Businessman Kartushin to be tried in Nizhny Novgorod

      The criminal case against the Nizhny Novgorod entrepreneur and lawyer Dmitry Kartushin, accused of large-scale fraud, has been transferred from Moscow to Nizhny Novgorod for jurisdictional reasons. 17:12 December 24, 2025 NIA Nizhny Novgorod - Nizhny Novgorod

      The entrepreneur is accused of stealing 80 million rubles from the FSS during an audit of 80 regions

      16:45 December 24

      Nina Serebryakova

      Roman Yarovitsyn, Kommersant from the website iy.kommersant.ru

      A Moscow court has referred the criminal case brought against businessman Dmitry Kartushin to the judicial authority in Nizhny Novgorod. 16:53 December 24, 2025 ProGorodNN.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      Fraudulent businessman awaits trial in Lipetsk

      The investigation of a criminal case of fraud totaling 12 million rubles has been completed. 14:58 December 23, 2025 GorodLip.Ru - Lipetsk

      A criminal case has been opened in the Arkhangelsk Region against three young people for failing to report a terrorist crime

      Investigative bodies of the Western Interregional Investigative Directorate for Transport of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation have initiated a criminal case against two 16-year-olds and an 18-year-old resident of Arkhangelsk. 11:06 December 23, 2025 Western Investigative Directorate for Transport - Saint Petersburg

      Former director of the Saratov center “Urozhay” convicted of fraud against subordinates

      A court in Saratov handed down a sentence to the former head of the state institution in a case of especially large-scale fraud. 20:36 December 22, 2025 Novosti-Saratova.Ru - Saratov

      A regional Investigative Committee investigator has opened a criminal case on unlawful actions against a judge

      An investigator of the investigative department for the Central District of Chelyabinsk of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Chelyabinsk Region has opened a criminal case against a 44-year-old man. 18:13 December 22, 2025 Investigative Committee - Chelyabinsk

      In Lermontov a former lawyer and his accomplice found guilty of fraud

      Evidence collected by the investigative department for the Predgorny District of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Stavropol Krai was recognized by the court as sufficient to deliver a verdict. 15:56 December 22, 2025 Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation - Stavropol

      Former lawyer from Karachay-Cherkessia received 4 years in a penal colony for fraud involving deportation in Lermontov

      In Lermontov, a court sentenced a former lawyer of the Bar Association of Karachay-Cherkessia and his assistant for an attempted fraud of 1.5 million rubles. 15:36 December 22, 2025 News.1777.Ru - Stavropol