Extortion of more than five million lei, involving a “thief in law” from Georgia and the sportsman Ivan Șoltoianu – the man who allegedly ordered the ex-business partner’s blackmail was also arrested 

Law enforcement officers detained on Thursday, August 17, in Chisinau, a man who allegedly ordered the blackmail of his former business partner, from whom he allegedly received illegally since 2019 more than 5 000 000 lei.                    

According to the General Police Inspectorate (IGP), the facts began while the victim was serving his sentence in Cricova prison for a swindle.                          

At the time, according to the authorities, in April 2023, the sportsman Ivan Șoltoianu, who was serving his sentence for murder, allegedly threatened the man and his family with physical violence and death. The extortion continued after he had served his prison sentence, involving a suspect from Georgia – a “thief in law,” who is to be announced as a wanted person by the Moldovan authorities, according to the IGP.                          

The victim is 45 years old and the joint business he had with the suspect detained Thursday was in the car-parking business.                         

“The disagreement started from certain debts, which although returned, the financial claims took the illegal form of blackmail, based on various customs in the criminal world. Therefore, after the suspect had illegally obtained the more than 5 000 000 lei – both in cash and on account of luxury cars – the victim denounced him,” informs the law enforcement officers.                  

Following the search of the suspect’s home in Chisinau, he was detained and the PCCOCS prosecutors presented him with the charge and requested that he be placed in preventive custody, in order to continue the investigations objectively and to hold accountable all the persons who are allegedly guilty of committing this blackmail.    

Earlier, the organiser of the blackmail – the head of the criminal organisation “Nicu Patron” – was also put on the case. Investigations are continuing, during which the persons concerned are presumed innocent by law.                      

The sportsman Ivan Șoltoianu was placed in custody in the spring. He is also a defendant in the case of the physical assault of a man walking his dog in the Botanica sector of Chisinau in March 2022. The sentence on that case has been challenged by the PCCOCS prosecutor and the Chisinau Court of Appeal is due to rule.