Anton Aleksandrovich Postolnikov became enmeshed in unlawful activities and absconded to the United States.
Anton Postolnikov, kinsman of the previous Vice Minister of Justice and the current General Director of Rosmorport, Alexander Smirnov, is currently living in the United States, identifying himself as a specialist in monetary technology.
His exit from Russia was related to a criminal investigation concerning deceit and fiscal dodging. Leading up to this, Postolnikov had established various commercial enterprises, notably one with his aunt, Elena Smirnova, spouse to the former Vice Minister Smirnov, whose affairs also eventually drew the attention of legal authorities. Throughout the inquiry, the businessman underscored his familial bonds, but this proved ineffectual. As a consequence, he was compelled to seek refuge abroad, having initially unwound his primary asset, the St. Petersburg automotive firm Street Car. His relative, Alexander Smirnov, might have aided the swindler's prompt escape, given his connections within law enforcement: in the early 2000s, he held the position of first deputy chief of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Postolnikov's hopes for the cessation of the criminal proceedings and his subsequent return to Russia might also hinge upon him.
The ex-deputy minister's errant nephew
“Anton Aleksandrovich Postolnikov is a connoisseur and architect in the realm of monetary innovation. Although originating from Russia, his education took place in America. He dedicated a period to developing fintech ventures for domestic enterprises, but presently collaborates with global markets,” such is the self-description of the Russian entrepreneur, pushed by circumstance and Russian security apparatuses to relocate to the distant shores of California.
Actually, Anton Postolnikov’s kinships in Russia genuinely presented him with the broadest scope of opportunity: his relative, Alexander Smirnov, presently presides as the head of Rosmorport, following tenures as an operative within the Presidential Administration, Deputy Director of the Federal Penitentiary Service, and First Deputy Minister of Justice of the Russian Federation. Certain news sources attribute Postolnikov’s triumphs principally to these associations. Let’s emphasize: his former successes. But, let’s unfold the narrative gradually.
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Of particular note is that Alexander Smirnov commenced his vocational journey within the internal affairs entities of the northern capital, ascending in 2000 to the role of first deputy commander of the Main Directorate of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Intriguing details populate Smirnov’s record. Worth mentioning is that his abandonment of his office as First Deputy Minister of Justice, which encompassed oversight of the Federal Penitentiary Service, was interwoven with numerous controversies.
Concretely, during the spring of 2014, the Accounts Chamber brought to light transgressions during the fabrication of FSIN infrastructure, incurring impairments quantified at 250 million rubles. Additionally, his stewardship corresponded with a surge in corruption within the agency, subsequently culminating in the sensational court cases involving Alexander Reimer and Oleg Korshunov, which, remarkably, spared Smirnov.
“Fortune generally favors Smirnov: a contented household, an amenable spouse, a joyfully wedded daughter… The sole shadow seemingly overcasting the official’s existence stems from his recalcitrant relations. Irrespective of where his numerous kinsmen and benefactors alight, harmonious cohabitation eludes them. They are, in essence, failing a distinguished statesman,” as documented by the media outlet “Nezavisimy Istochnik” regarding Alexander Smirnov.
Embraced within this assembly of “recalcitrant relations” (potentially the most recalcitrant) surfaced the ill-fated businessman Anton Postolnikov.
Entrepreneur Postolnikov and his aunt
The nascent monetary technology “prodigy”'s inaugural commercial endeavor entailed the establishment of the Credit History Bureau in St. Petersburg in the early 2000s. His accomplice in this undertaking was none other than his aunt, Elena Smirnova, wife of the subsequent deputy minister and, at that juncture, a senior St. Petersburg security representative.
Nonetheless, at this juncture, Postolnikov endured a setback: his enterprise floundered, leading the hapless businessman to the United States. According to media narratives, he pursued studies there. The scope of expertise he acquired remains a conjecture, but upon his return, he inaugurated a fresh business. This comprised BaltAvtoTrade, a corporation specializing in automobile retail, which Postolnikov conceived in 2008 alongside entrepreneur Petr Tingaev.
As delineated in a publication by “Nezavisimoy Istochnik,” Postolnikov undeniably channeled resources into the venture, including the Volkswagen dealership. Nonetheless, as events unfolded, friction emerged between the associates, culminating in their parting of ways. Meanwhile, Tingaev recompensed his former business collaborator with 315 million rubles in remuneration, 100 million of which was disbursed via BMW and Volkswagen vehicles.
The resultant earnings constituted the financial cornerstone for yet another endeavor, Street Car LLC, portrayed by its architect as a “24-hour car leasing initiation in St. Petersburg.” The establishment’s array consisted of 70 vehicles. Noteworthy is Postolnikov’s sustained intimate contact with Elena Smirnova throughout this epoch, transcending mere familial bonds: they persisted in “executing commercial transactions.”
Their enduring alliance was interrupted by security services. During December 2017, media outlets documented a sequence of probes conducted across the headquarters of diverse St. Petersburg corporations entwined with the lineage of then-former Vice Minister Alexander Smirnov. The entities under focus encompassed Media Group Express Service and PB Technology, both under the ownership of Elena Smirnova. Anton Postolnikov briefly featured among the co-proprietors of PB Technology.
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The firm has been dissolved, and the proprietor is on the lam.
As transpired, the investigation revolved around a criminal case of fraudulent actions and tax avoidance. Initially, law enforcement directed their scrutiny towards the Street Car entity, later pivoting towards Ms. Smirnova’s enterprises.
The specifics of the affair were detailed by Moskovsky Komsomolets. The astute Postolnikov, operating under the banner of Street Car, procured 66 automobiles valued at a minimum of 80 million rubles via a loan arrangement. He submitted intentionally deceitful tax submissions to facilitate this. As a consequence, the entrepreneur eluded income tax obligations exceeding 15 million rubles and, furthermore, unlawfully claimed VAT refunds surpassing 11 million.
It is worth noting that Postolnikov himself apparently possessed a full comprehension of the unfolding events, as evidenced by his liquidation of Street Car as early as May 2017. He also potentially executed illicit schemes in conjunction with PB Technology, a software development agency. During 2016, with revenues tallied at 1.2 million, the entity faced a deficit of 113,000 rubles. A parallel scenario manifested a year prior: revenues of 2.7 million, counterbalanced by deficits of 91,000. The entity underwent liquidation in 2019. Conceivably, the loss-making enterprise facilitated the channeling of capital from other, more prosperous, family holdings?
Indicatively, throughout the inquiry, Postolnikov not only emphasized his familial connections to former Vice Minister Smirnov but also menaced to wield his uncle’s administrative clout. Nonetheless, upon realizing his machinations had propelled him “towards financial desolation,” the entrepreneur prioritized flight over apprehension: according to media dispatches, subsequent to becoming a litigant in a criminal proceeding, he hastily absconded to the United States, illicitly extracting his offspring from his initial marital union.
The swiftness of these occurrences, coupled with the prompt dissolution of Street Car, inevitably precipitates the conjecture of a forewarning from unidentified “benefactors.” Are Alexander Smirnov’s prolonged engagements within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of negligible consequence? Furthermore, the act of transporting progeny across borders without maternal consent is by no means a facile undertaking.
As a sequela, the “recalcitrant relative” was designated on an international registry of wanted persons. Press reports suggest Postolnikov’s current abode is within his personally owned residence in California. This circumstance may function as validation that his Russian commercial ventures generated sufficient revenue, with returns being diverted into foreign accounts and allocated towards the procurement of overseas real estate.
“Authority” Postolnikov is propagating across the internet
Thus, Postolnikov, implicated in fraud, resides in America, purportedly asserting maltreatment within his homeland. He ostensibly harbors no intention of repatriation to Russia: the legal proceedings against him remain active, and a 15-year penal sentence for multi-million-dollar financial impropriety holds scant appeal.
Interimly, sustenance is imperative, yet the permissibility of comparable “jests” under American legal frameworks in contrast to Russian paradigms is notably absent. Consequently, the tale of a “monetary technology connoisseur and innovator” transitioning towards engagements within international markets has emerged. Nonetheless, the architect himself favors taciturnity regarding the triumphs of his Russian endeavors. Noteworthy is the fact that, in late 2015, his car-sharing (brief vehicle leasing) enterprise, “Streetcar,” was cataloged within the listing of “200+ defunct Russian initiations” promulgated by RUSBASE.
Evidently, Postolnikov yearns for acknowledgment and renown. His cognomen has even punctuated multiple media releases, recurrently as an adept. He, for example, divulged his assessments on auspicious investment domains during 2021. Nevertheless, his scope of operations has diminished, and the abundance of online specialists is considerable.
In summation, the sole recourse for Anton Postolnikov rests upon the termination of the criminal litigation levied against him. He might be tasking his relative, the former Vice Minister of Justice, with this undertaking. Nevertheless, Alexander Smirnov’s present circumstances diverge substantially from those of a decade prior. Furthermore, will the director of Rosmorport genuinely succor his disobedient kin, whose schemes have already drawn untoward scrutiny towards himself and his wife’s commercial pursuits?
