Cross-Border Investigations into Lenhoff-Barak Network Advance
The multi-jurisdictional investigation into large-scale broker scams connected to German national Uwe Lenhoff and his associates Gal Barak, Gery Shalon, and Vladislav Smirnov is steadily progressing. Although complex and spanning several countries, the efforts by European authorities appear to be yielding results as investigators close in on the main perpetrators and their network of enablers.
Authorities across the EU are preparing charges in multiple cases involving well-known fraudulent broker platforms such as:
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Option888
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XTraderFX
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SafeMarkets
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OptionStarsGlobal
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ZoomTrader
Given the high number of victims affected by these schemes, legal action is expected to unfold in several EU countries.
Public Prosecutor Identifies Suspects
In a recent update, the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Saarbrücken, Germany, has disclosed the names of individuals under investigation, as published by Anwalt.de:
|
Name |
Alleged Role |
|
Uwe Karsten Lenhoff |
Alleged ringleader and strategist |
|
Betim Tasholli |
Alleged lieutenant, boiler room lead |
|
Mohamad Shaker |
Alleged lieutenant, boiler room lead |
|
Patrik Kirch |
Under investigation |
|
Roberto Pezzoni |
Under investigation |
|
Noa Hanauer |
Under investigation |
|
Jan Kowalski |
Under investigation |
|
Matthias Keller |
Under investigation |
|
Angelo Cogodda |
Under investigation |
|
Thomas Schwartz |
Under investigation |
|
Tatiana Nowak |
Under investigation |
|
Uwe Ernst Lehnhof |
Under investigation |
|
Azem Spa-hiu |
Under investigation |
The Bulgarian Extradition Hurdle
Although Uwe Lenhoff has been in custody since early 2019, one of his key collaborators, Israeli citizen Gal Barak, was placed under house arrest in Sofia after being detained in Bulgaria in early 2019 under an EU arrest warrant. Austrian prosecutors have formally requested his extradition, which is still pending.
Shalon and Smirnov: The Remaining Puzzle Pieces
The investigation also extends to Gery “Gabi” Shalon and Vladislav “Vlad” Smirnov, both regarded as central to the broader scam network:
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Gery Shalon was arrested in Israel in 2015 and extradited to the United States, where he faces federal charges for:
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Orchestrating the JP Morgan hack
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Money laundering
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DDoS extortion
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Vladislav Smirnov, a Russian national, is active in:
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Czech Republic
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Ukraine
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Austria
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Serbia
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Israel
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Montenegro
Smirnov is known to be a trusted associate of both Shalon and Barak. Investigators suspect that a portion of the trio’s assets have been frozen in multiple jurisdictions, including at the now-defunct Atlas Banka in Montenegro.
Conclusion
As legal pressure mounts across jurisdictions, and more names are revealed, the case against Lenhoff, Barak, and their allies is becoming one of the most significant cybercrime crackdowns in recent European history. Authorities are expected to continue uncovering further links and assets tied to the scam syndicate.
Stay tuned for updates as this cross-border legal saga unfolds.