Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov

Alimzhan Tursunovich Tokhtakhounov (Russian: Алимжан Турсунович Тохтахунов; born 1 January 1949) is a Russian businessman, suspected criminal, and former sportsman. He is accused in relations with organized crime and bribing of figure skating judges in the 2002 Winter Olympics.[1] His nickname is thought to be "Taiwanchik" (Russian: Тайванчик, lit. 'Little Taiwanese'),[2] which refers to his distinctly Asiatic, as opposed to European, facial features.[3] He is wanted by FBI since 2013 for a sophisticated money laundering scheme.[3] As of 2022 he hides in Russia. United States Department of State listed him as wanted and offered reward for up to USD 4 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction.[4]

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions, the patronymic is Tursunovich and the family name is Tokhtakhounov.

Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov
Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov (2011)
Born
Alimzhan Tursunovich Tokhtakhounov

(1949-01-01) 1 January 1949
Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, Soviet Union

Biography

Tokhtakhounov was born to a Uyghur family in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, in 1949. In his early years, he was an amateur football player, playing for junior team of Pakhtakor in some seasons. His attempts to continue his career in CSKA Moscow failed and he soon ceased to play. Tokhtakhounov was twice imprisoned: in 1972 and in 1985 for "parasitism".

In 1989, he moved to Germany. He became a citizen of Israel and was allegedly involved with international arms sales with the Western Group of Forces and an Arab country.[5]

In the early 1990s, he settled in Paris, France. There he was soon accused in committing illegal business deals and smuggling of hardware from Germany. He was also reported to have relations with the Russian mafia, including ethnic Georgian mobster Tariel Oniani. After his residence permit in France expired, French authorities refused to renew his residence permit and subsequently he moved to Italy.[5]

In 2002, Tokhtakhounov was accused in bribery of ice skating judges in the 2002 Winter Olympics.[6] He was arrested in Italy by US request, but the Italian court denounced the extradition bid and freed Tokhtakhounov.[5] After he was released from detention in Italy, he moved to Russia.[5]

In Russia, he was investigated about the legality of his Russian citizenship.

He is notably close to professional Russian tennis players. For instance, a 2002 article in the Belgium daily La Libre Belgique[7] reported on interviews of Russian players following Tokhtakhounov's arrest in Italy: Yevgeny Kafelnikov defended his "friend", Marat Safin refused to discuss a topic that was "not his problem", while Anna Kournikova commented "I have heard of this man. But I don't think I should talk about it. I am Russian and I will have to go back there".[8]

The United States has a current arrest warrant out for him on fraud-related charges.[9] In 2010, Alimzhan featured in the 2010 documentary Thieves by Law.[10] He lives openly in Russia.[11]

In November 2010, Russian tax authorities stated that Taiwanchik had not paid 115,000 rubles in taxes on his estate in the elite village of Lapino beyond the Moscow Ring Road 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Moscow near the Rublevo-Uspenskoye Highway Route A106.[5][12]

FBI investigation

In 2013, Tokhtakhunov was charged with running an illegal gambling ring based in the United States.[13]

According to ABC News,[14] he was caught up in an FBI investigation of "a sophisticated Russian organized crime money-laundering network that operated out of unit 63A in Trump Tower in New York." According to federal prosecutors, "his is the top of the top of the top in organized crime in Russia."[15]

The FBI investigation led to a federal grand jury indictment of more than 30 people, including Vadim Trincher, Molly Bloom, Helly Nahmad, and Tokhtakhounov, who escaped arrest and remains a fugitive from American justice.[16] For his support of the illicit operation, Tokhtakhunov allegedly received more than $12 million by the Taiwanchik-Trincher Organization from December 2011 to February 2013.[17][18][lower-alpha 1][19]

The U.S. State Department is offering a $4 million reward for Tokhtakhunov's arrest.[20]

Personal

Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov hides in Russia. He lives in Lapino at Rublovka village which is located near the Rublevo-Uspenskoye highway (Russian: Рублево-Успенское шоссе) Route A106 beyond the Moscow Ring Road 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Moscow.[5][12][21][22][23]

Family

In 2013 he was sued by young 24 years old Yulia Malik with whom he previously had a relationship and fathered 2 daughters. Mrs. Yulia Malik asked the court to return her daughters back from Tokhtakhunov to hear.[24] The court have allegedly sided with her.

Tokhtakhunov has 4 children, one son, and three daughters. the oldest one which is Lola. As of 2019 she was living in the US.[25] His son Dmitry was born out of wedlock. Dmitry had 2 children born in 2019.[25]

See also

Notes
  1. The 2017 film Molly's Game was based upon Molly Bloom's activities during this FBI investigation.

References
  1. Andrew Dampf (13 August 2002). "Taivanchik Hearing Ordered to Stay Put". The St Petersburg Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012.
  2. Bensinger, Ken (2018). Red Card: How the U.S. Blew the Whistle on the World's Biggest Sports Scandal. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 22. ISBN 9781501133909.
  3. Kramer, Andrew E.; Glanz, James (1 June 2013). "In Russia, Living the High Life; in America, a Wanted Man". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  4. "Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov". United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  5. Такташев, Рустам (Taktashev, Rustam) (12 November 2010). "Дом Тайванчика на Рублевке арестуют из-за долга в 115 тыс. рублей: Алимжан Тохтахунов, известный как Тайванчик, попал в поле зрения налоговых органов" [Taiwanchik's house on Rublyovka will be arrested due to a debt of 115 thousand rubles: Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, known as Taiwanchik, came to the attention of the tax authorities.]. GZT.RU (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. Toobin, Jeffrey (19 February 2018). "Trump's Miss Universe Gambit". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  7. Libre.be, La. "Anna a peur de Tokhtakhounov". Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  8. Dillman, Lisa (2 August 2002). "Russian Tennis Players Wary of Mob Talk". LA Times. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  9. "Wanted Persons - Tokhtakhounov, Alimzhan", Interpol
  10. "Ganavim Ba Hok". 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017 – via www.imdb.com.
  11. Andrew E. Kramer; James Glanz (1 June 2013). "In Russia, Living the High Life; in America, a Wanted Man". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  12. "Постановление Правительства РФ от 17 ноября 2010 г. N 928 «О перечне автомобильных дорог общего пользования федерального значения» (с изменениями и дополнениями)" [Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 17 November 2010 N 928 "On the list of public roads of federal significance" (as amended)]. Garant (GARANT.RU) (in Russian). 17 November 2010. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  13. "U.S. Seeks Arrest of Reputed Russian Mobster". The Moscow Times. 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  14. Ross, Brian; Mosk, Matthew (21 March 2017). "Russian mafia boss still at large after FBI wiretap at Trump Tower: In 2013, feds launched an investigation a few floors below the Trump residence". ABC News. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  15. Rosenberg, Rebecca (25 April 2013). "Art gallery was 'mobbed'". New York Post. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  16. Kramer, Andrew E.; Glanz, James (1 June 2013). "In Russia, Living the High Life; in America, a Wanted Man". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  17. Dobrovolskaya, Lily (27 November 2020). "Flight of the Monarch: US Gov't Contracted Airline Once Owned by Criminals with Ties to Russian Mob". OCCRP. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  18. "Two Defendants Sentenced for Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy with Russian-American Organized Crime Enterprise Operating International Sportsbook That Laundered More Than $100 Million". FBI. 30 April 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  19. Rashbaum, William K. (12 November 2013). "Scion of Art Family, in Court, Admits Role With a Gambling Ring". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  20. "Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov". United States Department of State. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  21. Команда «Проекта» (Project team) (6 February 2020). "ШОССЕ В НИКУДА: Путеводитель по Рублевке, главной дороге России" [HIGHWAY TO NOWHERE: Guide to Rublyovka, the main road in Russia]. Proekt (proekt.media) (in Russian). Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  22. Команда «Проекта» (Project team) (6 February 2020). "Карта Рубловки от "ШОССЕ В НИКУДА: Путеводитель по Рублевке, главной дороге России"" [Map of Rublovka from "HIGHWAY TO NOWHERE: Guide to Rublyovka, the main road in Russia"]. Proekt (proekt.media) (in Russian). Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  23. Команда «Проекта» (Project team) (6 February 2020). "Где живут криминальные авторитеты Карта Рубловки от "ШОССЕ В НИКУДА: Путеводитель по Рублевке, главной дороге России"" [Where crime bosses live: Map of Rublovka from "HIGHWAY TO NOWHERE: Guide to Rublyovka, the main road in Russia"]. Proekt (proekt.media) (in Russian). Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  24. "Бизнесмен Алимжан Тохтахунов в суде поделит с гражданской женой дочек-двойняшек - Общество". www.eurosmi.ru. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  25. "Кем стали дети Тайванчика". Рамблер/субботний (in Russian). Retrieved 1 July 2022.
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