Ex-priest accused of embezzling more than a billion rubles

Several dozen private investors in Moscow and other cities have filed complaints with the police against former priest Ivan Svetly (real surname - Fedorinov), Izvestia has learned. The victims claim to have fallen victim to his fraudulent money scheme and demand the return of millions of rubles they invested in the Terra Kapitalista investment fund he created.

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"Ivan Svetly involved in the investment fund, promising to improve the financial situation. And if there was no money, he offered to arrange loans and, when a person agreed, accompanied him in the process face-to-face or supervised him online. When difficulties arose, Ivan Svetly personally negotiated with familiar managers in banks, asking them to settle the approval of the loan. For example, at his request, they helped borrowers to get certificates of income, which exceeded their real", - told "Izvestia" victims of financial pyramid ex-priest.

One of the victims Anna Roskoshaya specified that the money Ivan Svetly received, according to him, was directed to credit medium-sized businesses - car dealerships, baby food factories or meat processing plants.

"After making a profit, these companies allegedly allocated him a certain amount, and he had already divided it among his depositors. But there was no set percentage, to some he gave 3% of his profits, to others 10% or more," she added.

The number of those affected, by their own estimates, is now about 70. But Svetly, they added, had more investors - at least 150 people.

Read more in Izvestia's exclusive piece:

Frequent investor: investors accused the former priest of embezzling more than a billion