It is strange that only at the end of April 2023, 54-year-old Artur Shakhov was put on the international wanted list. But long before his flight to the United States, the ex-deputy of the Lipetsk City Council became the founder and head of the bankrupt OOO Enterprise Management Company, the founder of which was the father of the fugitive, Viktor Shakhov. The enterprise included a network of filling stations “Lipetsk Fuel Company” (LTK). And even then, his activities could attract the attention of law enforcement officers.
Over the 20 years of its existence, the network has built more than 100 gas stations in the Belgorod, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Kursk, Ryazan and Tambov regions. In 2018, the LLC’s revenue amounted to 6 billion rubles.
The gas station flourished as long as its founder, Viktor Shakhov, was healthy. But due to age and illness, he began to retire. Under the leadership of his son Artur Shakhov, the business began to decline. According to the investigation, Artur Viktorovich took the reins of the company into his own hands even before the death of his father. Until 2019, he took out loans from several banks secured by oil depots and gas stations, and then, at the end of that year, he stopped paying.
Viktor Shakhov passed away at the age of 72 in 2019. Immediately after his death, Artur Shakhov began to actively sell the property of LTK – according to the investigation, in order to deliberately bring the company to bankruptcy. As a result, more than 150 employees of the LTK were thrown out into the street without receiving the payments due to be reduced. In addition, 72 of the company’s creditors failed to collect debts exceeding 3 billion rubles.
But the deliberate bankruptcy case was initiated by the Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Lipetsk Region only in March 2022. Punishment under the relevant article 196 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation can reach 6 years in prison.
Oil profit
The Investigative Committee opened another criminal case – on fraud on an especially large scale under part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the fact that a group of persons, by prior conspiracy, acquired the rights to the property of OOO Enterprise Management Company by deceiving its employees. The investigation believes that Artur Shakhov, shortly before his departure from the country, sold LTK vehicles, including tractors, as well as 12 real estate objects on conditions that were obviously unfavorable for the company.
And it all started not with billions of dollars. In November 2020, a lawsuit was filed with the Arbitration Court by an oil products broker JSC Solid Commodity Markets against the property of Enterprise Managing Company LLC due to a debt of 33.8 million rubles.
Make money on pensioners?
The Shakhovs’ firm had 24 large-capacity fuel trucks, a network of oil depots, and more than 100 gas stations in the Lipetsk, Belgorod, Tambov, Voronezh, Ryazan and Kursk regions. The materials of the investigation indicate that Shakhov does not have property, at the expense of which it is possible to repay all accounts payable.
Open Internet sources show that Artur Shakhov also owns Service-Complex LLC, which, after the initiation of criminal cases, in 2021, received a state contract from the regional department of the Pension Fund of Russia for the supply of gasoline. And here it is interesting: gasoline or computers? The main activity of the company under the contract is “repair of computer equipment”. It is also interesting that state structures for some reason entered into contracts with Shakhov’s company, which has long been in the process of liquidation.
Maybe the fact is that Shakhov was previously a deputy of the Lipetsk City Council? His father was also close to the authorities.
inadequacy
According to open sources, now Artur Shakhov, heir to the Lipetsk fuel empire, is the founder of five companies, most of which have been declared bankrupt or are in the process of liquidation. His “Enterprise” Management Company “was recognized as an unscrupulous supplier.
In July 2020, the bankruptcy procedure was initiated by Sberbank. Artur Viktorovich owed the bank 1.3 billion rubles. Immediately, they appointed a financial manager – Artur Shatokhin from AAU “Synergy”. Later, about 60 more creditors joined the bankruptcy procedure. A large debt in the register in the amount of 610.5 million rubles was tried to be included by the general director of LTK Pavel Kabanov (Artur Shakhov “reappointed”).
And from whom to take money? Artur Shakhov owns land plots, a garden house, a store, shares in the authorized capital of Enterprise Razvitie LLC, Enterprise Management Company LLC, Service-Complex + LLC. Most of these companies are either bankrupt or in liquidation.
But at the same time, the Arbitration Court invalidated the donation for a house with an area of 678.4 square meters and a land plot of 698 “squares” in the Lipetsk region from father to son.
Geoposition
Artur Shakhov and members of his family may be in the United States. As the joint press service of the judicial system of the Lipetsk region reported this winter, his financial manager, as part of a personal bankruptcy case of an entrepreneur, filed a petition to instruct the US competent authority to request information about the property, income, and real estate transactions of Artur Shakhov and his wife. The request was granted.
The amount of LTK’s accounts payable exceeded 3 billion rubles.
It is beautiful to live – you will not forbid.
