Biography:
Leonid Vitalyevich Christoforov was born on July 7, 1970 in Krasnodar territory. He was convicted three times: in 1995 for a robbery and extortion, in 1998 for contraband, attempt for illegal crossing of state border and use of obviously false documents and, at last, in 2001 – for the organization of murder for selfish motives. In 1996 there were 2 attempts for his life.
Leonid Christoforov was nicknamed as Fuhrer in criminal sphere. He was three-time loser - for murder of the sales manager of joint-stock company "Red chemist" Alexander Egorov, robberies and extortion. For murder he got a term for 11 year but he stayed four and after he released conditionally-ahead of schedule, and up to arrest he supervised business of Gennady Petrov who left to Spain. In May 2005 court expunged the record of his convictions ahead of schedule.
On June 12, 2008 Christoforov was arrested by Italian police together with Alexander Malyshev and Gennady Petrov.
In January, 2010 he was released on bail.
Dossier:
Leonid Christoforov's existence became widely known to the public in the autumn, 2003. Then in Resort area of St.-Petersburg armored "Mercedes Gelentwagen" of Christoforov, at that point in time the sales manager of travel company "Prima" got under bombardment. Incident occurred on October, 25 about 1 am on 38th kilometer of Primorsky highway. Unknown persons fired from the unstated weapon at the car moving on highway. Christoforov was driving the car and did not suffer. Based on this fact a criminal case under article 30 and article 105 of the criminal code of Russian Federation (attempted murder) was opened, and it is still not solved.
Source: news agency "Rosbalt", 10/27/2003
In December, 2003 Leonid Christoforov became of interest to journalists of the Petersburg newspaper «Your Private Councilor» in connection with the conflict between founders of "Kolpino food industrial complex» - the largest manufacturer of deep frost products in St.Petersburg. During that conflict the general director of industrial complex Vsevolod Timoshenkov (he related to Christoforov) declared to journalists that he was under the pressure from the widow of the killed co-owner of the enterprise Sergey Kuznetsov and another co-owner Georgy Ivanov. Thus Timoshenkov informed journalists that pressure upon him occurred in the office of the deputy of Legislative Assembly of Petersburg Oleg Korjakin.
Journalists informed also that shortly before killers tried to kill one more co-owner of industrial complex Valery Bogdanov. Attempt at Bogdanov took place on May, 11th, 2003, but Bogdanov and the child that was in his car both survived. After that Bogdanov with a family lived abroad and were not going to come back to Russia.
For information: Valery Viktorovich Bogdanov was born on January, 7th, 1945. As well as other participants of this conflict which splashed out on pages of mass-media he was convicted twice. In 1975 he was convicted for a swindle, and in 1980 – for a crime provided by almost exotic article of the Criminal code - violation of safety rules. Thus, there is one interesting episode in Valery Bogdanov's biography – before the first court he served in Escort Guard. In prisons carriers of such biographies face the most serious problems – then the friendship between Valery Bogdanov and another participant of the case, deceased Sergey Kuznetsov began. They were sentenced in the same prison, made friends and Kuznetsov supported Bogdanov in every possible way by protecting him from aggression of underworld conformists.
Having recovered from wounds, Valery Bogdanov openly accused Sergey Kuznetsov of the organization of the attempt. Personally Leonid Christoforov declared that to journalists. By that moment he was on Bogdanov’s side opposing other founders of industrial complex.
For information: Sergey Anatolyevich Kuznetsov was born on April 8, 1942 in Uzbekistan; the youngster arrived to Leningrad. In February, 1974 he was already convicted by Dzerzhinsky regional national court of Leningrad for a crime by a part of 3 articles 147 of the Criminal code («Swindle which has caused a considerable damage»), and sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment from which he "stayed" almost half and the remained term he spent on national constructions. The following sentence – in 1983 at once under two articles: 146th (robbery) and 212th («stealing of vehicles»); term of imprisonment – 13 years with confiscation of property and deportation for 3 years. In 1994 Sergey Kuznetsov returned to Petersburg where he was engaged in business together with Sergey Bogdanov.
On September 14, 2003 on Sunday Sergey Kuznetsov was killed. His widow, Kuznetsova Anna Vasilyevna considered Valery Bogdanov and, probably, Christoforov as the organizers of the murder of her husband.
Vsevolod Timoshenkov did not follow instructions of Ivanov and Kuznetsova which demanded to give them the enterprise. And he asked for support from Leonid Christoforov, old friend of Kuznetsov and Bogdanov well aware of the situation at industrial complex to. Christoforov told to journalists about it: «When in the end of the last year I returned from prison Valery Bogdanov and Sergey Kuznetsov proposed me an interesting offer. We agreed that I would join their business by a shop chain and Kolpino industrial complex would have own firm retail network. I think, they offered it not only from commercial reasons – they hoped that as the person knowing them for a long time I will manage to help them to agree. I thought that it will turn out and I have laid down only one condition: to change the structure of founders in Company «Kolpino food industrial complex» LLC. I did not wish to put up money in firm where there were six owners besides me, four of them – people from an environment of Bogdanov and Kuznetsov. Everybody knows that there are two real owners at industrial complex – Valery and Sergey, i.e. in our joint business there should become three owners – they and me.
On a consensus the needed documents were prepared; when it was necessary to put their last seals and signatures, there was an attempt at Valery Bogdanov. It became clear: plans about the «firm for three» would never come true. But Leonid Christoforov didn’t completely give up “pelmeni” business – Valery Bogdanov who departed abroad asked him to represent his interests in industrial complex and to support general director Vsevolod Timoshenkov to protect him from a pressure. Timoshenkov began to appear everywhere together with Christoforov and quite impressive security. They even have lodged nearby – in two leased cottages in Dunes on the bank of Gulf of Finland. After that there was an attempt at Christoforov.
Christoforov connected the occurred attempt with Anna Kuznetsova.
After that the majority of votes in industrial complex appeared to belong to «Ivanov's team», that was even before of rights of succession of shares of the killed Sergey Kuznetsov had come into force.
Source: «Your Private Councilor», 12/1/2003
In 2005 Georgy Ivanov was killed. This crime was connected with the mentioned conflict. Before the incident he gave interview to journalists of the newspaper «Your Private Councilor». He told his version of murders of Kolpino industrial complex’s founders. According to Ivanov, he sold the Jeep for 20 thousand dollars, while Kuznetsov - three apartments. With this money their old partner Valery Gusev constructed the industrial complex. But as a result of the described conflict by the end of 2004 Ivanov already lost possibility to participate in a management of the pelmeni firm. He said that together with the supporters and lawyers he would try to return the grasped enterprise to a legal way.
Georgy Nikolaevich explained: “Aggressors introduced the person - general director Timoshenkov who then forged signatures on documents and as a result we lost the industrial complex…”
Ivanov commented also the events which happened in 2003 in connection with Kolpino food industrial complex. According to businessman’s version attempt for Bogdanov as well as and attempt for Christoforov was nothing else but performances. «Kuznetsov and Bogdanov have quarreled because of Kuznetsov’s greed, he told. Bogdanov promised Kuznetsov that he would stay in Spain and simply receive money. As a result Kuznetsov is killed, Bogdanov is in Spain... He was laid the blame. And Christoforov supervises the enterprise now. It is easy for understanding if you know that Timoshenkov is Bogdanov’s person...»
In the middle of December, 2004 by decision of Arbitration court «Kolpino food industrial complex» LLC was recognized as the bankrupt and bankruptcy proceedings for a period of one year had been started. Journalists assumed that Ivanov somehow disturbed to absorption of the enterprise-bankrupt by another company.
Source: www.fontanka.ru, 10/31/2005
Less than in a month «Kolpino food industrial complex» was in the centre of attention police again. On November 18, 2005 Alexander Timoshenkov – the father of director Vsevolod Timoshenkov - was wounded. Two attacks for short time are difficult to be understood only as the category of accidents...
Alexander Timoshenkov is a well-known person in the city. From 1971 year he worked in state security bodies. He finished this activity in 1992 year in a rank of the colonel. But till the end of 90th years he did not leave department, working as the assistant to chiefs of Petersburg management of FSB including Victor Cherkesov.
Source: www.fontanka.ru, 11/21/2005
In the beginning of 2007 journalists wrote about communication between the head of administration of the chairman of Legislative Assembly in Petersburg Alexander Zaragatsky and Leonid Christoforov. The point was that the following persons have been noticed at Zaragatsky’s birthday party: Alik Beglov (Kazan criminal group), Leonid Christoforov, businessman Dmitry Mihailchenko, Bobovnikov Sasha (Izmailovo criminal group), businessman Mikhail Sliozberg.
Source: www.rospress.com, 2/8/2007
In June, 2008 Leonid Christoforov together with Gennady Petrov and several people of their environment were arrested by Spanish police. After that a new splash of interest of the press to Christoforov followed. They were accused of financial frauds and laundering of criminal money.
Leonid Christoforov (Kristo Folov) was detained in Marbella at 4 am on June, 12th, 2008. Spanish Special Forces stormed his house by throwing dazzle grenades to bedroom windows and flinging the doors open in the opposite direction as they acted with other arrested persons from among unfortunate owners of coastal private residences. These sounds took unawares millionaires just fallen asleep after celebrating Independence Day. Definitively they came round only in chambers having manual and foot shackles. "As if I were Doctor Lector, Leonid Christoforov said indignantly, - I thought that our OMON (special force police) is sapheaded but Spaniards are even worse. They took me to the toilet for three days under escort of six submachine gunners".
Source: newspaper "Private councilor" (Petersburg), 10/6/2008
In 2008 journalists paid attention to Christoforov already as on the representative of Gennady Petrov’s interests in Petersburg. Journalists wrote that Christoforov is registered in the former Petrovs’ apartment on Bolshoy prospect of Vasilyevsky Island. It was informed that Christoforov gave grateful evidences within the limits of the criminal case raised upon murder of the deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Galina Starovoytova. He admitted that together with the companions he bought and resold to Pavel Stehnovsky (condemned for this murder) a pistol-machine gun «AGRAM-2000» from which Galina Starovoytova subsequently was killed. According to the interrogation report, in autumn of 1996 Christoforov together with Mikoelyan, Fedorov, Karasev on a summer residence "Chaeva" located on Stone Island adjusted two pistols-machine guns «AGRAM-2000». The weapon of Starovoytova’s murder was adjusted in 200 meters from Mikhail Gluschenko's office where the huge "grave-stone" of white marble «Deputy of the State Duma» was hanging.
Source: www.fontanka.ru, 6/23/2008
Mass-media wrote also that together with Petrov Christoforov adjusted deliveries of cement from Russia by having hidden the production origin. It was mentioned that the legal declared income of Christoforov was not more than 100 000 euros per year, but still he was able to purchase a boat for 400 000 euros and real estate for 1.9 million euro.
Source: «New newspaper», 7/14/2008
In the end of 2008 in Spanish press there was an information that contenders of "Zenith" [Ruspres: the president of "Zenith" Sergey Fursenko is acquainted with Gennady Petrov on the base of common business in bank "Russia"] in semifinal and final matches of an UEFA Cup — 2007/08 — German "Bavaria" and Scottish "Rangers" were bribed by Russian mafia.
This news was published also in other information sources including on a tape of news agency AFP and on a web-page of Italian La Gazzetta dello Sport. The fact that edition ABC in 2006 first informed about the organization of contractual matches by Turin "Juventus", which subsequently were excluded from the Italian series “A” in favor of Spanish sources. According to ABC, in two intercepted telephone conversations between the chief of «Tambov criminal Group» Gennady Petrov and one of his most entrusted people Leonid Christoforov both bragged each other that they bribe semi-final and an UEFA Cup final for the sake of "Zenith" victory — the main soccer team of Petersburg which "Real" met yesterday in the League of champions.
As ABC informs, there were sums from 20 to 40 million (the currency is not specified) mentioned in conversation; apparently, they were intended for payment of the specified matches with "Zenith" participation. Even more detailed information was given by the newspaper El Pais. According to Madrid edition Christoforov «bragged that he knew result of a return match (with «Bavaria») beforehand — 4:0».
El Pais and ABC informed also that judge Baltasar Garson had several sent the data to Germany to the Office of Public Prosecutor weeks ago. He was running the case of organized criminal group based on which in the beginning of June together with six more figurants Petrov, Izgilov and Christoforov had been detained (they were incriminated with the long list of criminal actions: murders, weapon traffic, extortion, swindle, forging of documents, trade in influence, payoff, illegal transactions, contraband, drug-dealing, custom-made attacks and blackmail).
Therefore on official web-page of FC "Zenith" there was a statement that "Zenith" achieved its goals fairly and the press told a lie.
Source: "Sports day after day", 10/2/2008
In the end of January, 2010 the National appellate court of Spain admitted to bail three Russians who were suspected of monetary frauds and considered as members of "Russian mafia".
Pledge at a rate of 600 thousand euro was appointed for the leader of "Tambov-Malyshev" criminal group, Gennady Petrov who has been living in Spain since 1996. Other two suspects were released also - Alexander Malyshev and Leonid Christoforov were “estimated" in 500 thousand and 300 thousand euro accordingly.
Passports of Malyshev and Christoforov have been taken away and they are obliged to get registered daily in the morning and in the evening in the commissariat of police nearest to their house.
Source: www.fontanka.ru, 1/29/2010