The pre-trial investigation, conducted by officers of the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) and organized by the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office, is being carried out on suspicion that a foreign citizen in Vilnius received bank transfers totaling more than 21.16 million euros, with payments allegedly supported by fictitious loan agreements.
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The person, knowing that the funds at their disposal were allegedly obtained through criminal means and, aiming to conceal the true origin of the money and to legalize it, as well as to create the impression of legitimately obtained income, acquired real estate and vehicles in their own and their family members’ names from 2022 to 2026.
Part of these purchases, possibly to conceal their actual status as the owner of the property and the true ownership rights to high-value assets acquired with criminally obtained funds, was made using another person who controlled a private limited company, and requested that part of the property be registered in the name of that company. The company’s director has also been charged.
Among the purchases are a residential house in the Riešė eldership, Vilnius district, two apartments with a total value of over 1 million euros in the Paupys district of the capital, three more apartments worth more than 2.6 million euros on Constitution Avenue in the capital, and cars including a Lamborghini Urus, Rolls Royce Spectre, Mercedes-Benz S680 Maybach, BMW, Lexus, with a total acquisition value of 1.245 million euros.
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To collect as much data as possible, FNTT officers conducted 6 searches in September at the premises of the suspect and his family members, during which significant documents for the investigation, email correspondence, laptops, phones, data storage devices, cash, and jewelry were seized.
The prosecutor of the 3rd Criminal Prosecution Division of the Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office, organizing the investigation, temporarily restricted ownership rights to all the luxury property mentioned belonging to the suspect and his family members.
The pre-trial investigation continues.
For money laundering of criminally obtained property, the court may impose the harshest penalty – imprisonment for up to seven years.
