A secretly recorded dialog between Ruja Ignatova and Gilbert Armenta, her boyfriend, underscores hyperlinks between OneCoin and arranged crime.
As a part of his testimony earlier this month, Konstantin Ignatov (proper) recognized Gilbert Armenta as a serious participant in OneCoin’s cash laundering operations.
He additionally cited Armenta as his sister Ruja’s boyfriend.
Each Ruja Ignatova and Armenta are married, with Armenta’s reluctance to go away his spouse a level of frustration for Ruja.
Whereas that decision is definitely notable for the spectacle (it shatters Ruja’s rigorously crafted lofty public persona), of way more curiosity is one other secretly recorded phonecall between Ruja and Armenta.
The name in query was recorded by Armenta, who by that stage was an informant working with the FBI.
Whereas the decision lacks any wider context, it seems to be associated to safety.
The decision opens with an anxious sounding Ruja (proper) warning Armenta that
we are able to get entry to your emails inside twenty-four hours if we needed to.
You can’t forestall this shit. It’s a must to be fucking cautious.
What comes subsequent is the closest affirmation of OneCoin’s ties to organized crime but, particularly the Russian mafia.
What (these) Russian guys can do you can’t think about. (And) if they’ll do it, everyone can do it.
The one recommendation that you simply (will) get from me (is) don’t use emails, don’t… like simply head to head or encrypted varieties.
Nothing else is secure. Simply imagine me. Please.
I can get the whole lot I would like inside twenty-four hours. And if I can, they’ll to.
I’m actually nervous. It’s a must to watch out with communication. All people must be cautious with communication.
For emphasis: “I can get the whole lot I would like inside twenty-four hours. And if I can, they’ll to”.
What Ruja can get isn’t clarified, however the tone suggests she sees herself as having the identical attain and sources as Russian organized crime.
This ties into Konstantin testifying that Ruja as soon as informed him she knew a “wealthy and highly effective particular person in Russia”.
Ruja would finally be taught of Armenta’s betrayal by way of a wiretap of his US residence. She is believed to have traveled to Greece shortly thereafter earlier than disappearing altogether.
If the DOJ are conscious of Russian mafia ties to Ruja’s disappearance, for now they’re conserving it to themselves.
Ruja’s leaked calls have been made public as a part of Mark Scott’s legal trial. Our because of the Interior Metropolis Press for requesting reveals from the DOJ and making them public.