Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have discovered the remains of Russian crypto investor Roman Novak and his wife Anna in a remote desert area, linked to a double homicide amid a $500 million scam fallout. The couple was killed in October after being lured to a villa for a supposed investor meeting. Three suspects have been detained in connection with the case.
Roman Novak, a crypto investor from Saint Petersburg and founder of the Fintopio platform for rapid cryptocurrency transfers, along with his wife Anna, were found dead in the UAE. According to reports from Russian media outlet 47news on December 1, the bodies were buried in thick plastic bags within a 500-by-500-meter desert area. The remains, intact and covered with chemical solvents, were located based on testimony from arrested individuals.
The couple had been killed in October. They were reportedly lured to a rented villa in the Emirati city of Hatta under the pretense of meeting potential investors. There, they were tortured to gain access to their crypto wallets before being murdered. UAE police discovered the remains in November, with formal confirmation issued recently. The process to repatriate the bodies to Russia for burial has begun.
Novak had raised up to $500 million in investments through Fintopio before disappearing. In 2020, he was sentenced in Russia to six years in prison for fraud, with multiple enforcement proceedings pending at the time of his death.
Three individuals were detained in Saint Petersburg on suspicion of involvement. Among them is 53-year-old Konstantin Shakht, believed to be the organizer. Two suspects admitted to the killing, while Shakht denied the charges.