Andryusha Kidalovo. Treasurer of fugitive Vitya Pan uses thieves’ pooled cash fund for risky ventures

The fugitive crowned thief may be displeased with the way his savings are used

Kursk thief-in-law Viktor Panyushin (Vitya Pan) is still on the run – in summer 2017, a criminal case has been instituted against him and his henchmen under Article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (creation of a criminal community (criminal organization) and participation therein). The CrimeRussia became aware that his treasurer remains on the loose and administers a portion of the thieves’ pooled cash fund. According to our sources, the ‘financial manager’ of the gang led by Vitya Pan has ventured into a risky fraud scheme involving local officials.

Andrei Rudakov, the future ‘cashier’ of the local criminal beau-monde, used to be a member of the local Baptist community. His respectable father, Iosif Rudakov, had held a prominent position in that community and received respective ‘bonuses and dividends’. In that period, young Andrei has apparently realized that there are plenty of ways of making money. He was not interested in a ministerial or governmental career. However, the young man had unique intelligence and commercial acumen.

In September 2006, Rudakov has registered an individual enterprise and later – Ruvimstroy Limited Liability Company specializing in sales of construction materials and construction. Initially, his business was successful – but not for long. For his ‘outstanding moralities’, Andrei Rudakov was nicknamed Andryusha Kidalovo (Andryusha the Scammer). The aspiring entrepreneur started increasingly frequently encountering materials problems – e.g. poisoning of his dogs, Molotov cocktails thrown in his yard, etc.

Then Rudakov junior got in trouble – he faced a real risk to lose his health, wealth, and, possibly, life. He had two options: either stop swindling, fulfill his obligations, and pay out debts – or find a powerful ‘patron’ able to protect him and continue pulling off fraud schemes. There are two sources of powerful ‘patrons’ in our country: law enforcement authorities and criminal structures. Andrei Rudakov decided to join the criminal world.

Nobody knows for sure the circumstances of the first meeting between thief-in-law Viktor Panyushin (Vitya Pan) and Andrei Rudakov.

Vitya Pan

Panyushin had a sharp eye for people; he noticed the prospective entrepreneur and granted him protection and patronage. In exchange, the crowned thief asked Rudakov to render some non-burdensome services to himself and his henchmen – mediation in receiving ‘material aid’ from ‘friendly’ businessmen and organizations and logistic for the construction of Panyushin’s mansion in Dukhovets village, Kursk district.

Mansion of Viktor Panyushin

The young associate has brilliantly performed these tasks. Sergei Golovin was responsible for general oversight of the construction project – while Rudakov administered its material, logistic, and financial aspects, including shipment and receipt of construction materials, filling out delivery notes, budgeting, etc. He received construction materials from private businessmen and organizations with discounts reaching 80–90% of the price, avoided delays, and honestly kept the accounting records – Andryusha Kidalovo was fully aware that any attempt to defraud his ‘patron’ would be severely punished. When asked by the police about the artificially low cost of the materials, he had kept silence. The vendors had explained the ridiculous prices to the law enforcement operatives by their generosity and called Rudakov “a very good man”. The policemen understood that this was a blatant legalization of ‘levies’ collected by the thief-in-law from entrepreneurs for ‘patronage’ – but could do nothing in the absence of official complaints.

The crowned thief at a congregation

Concurrently, Rudakov was taking good care of his own wellbeing. His individual enterprise was closed in January 2015 – but Andryusha Kidalovo still managed to erect two mansions – just as good as the one built for Panyushin – for himself.

Homes belonging to Rudakov

In 2014, Rudakov has purchased for the ‘criminal committee’ a land lot 16 thousand square meters in size with cadastral number 46:11:050502:667. In 2017, this lot was successfully sold to new owners, thus, legalizing a portion of criminal proceeds. 

After the escape of thief-in-law Vitya Pan, his ‘construction supervisor’ Sergei Golovin had to make a painful way through a psychiatric hospital, temporary holding facility, court, and pretrial detention facility – while Rudakov became the new overseer of the construction project. He hadn’t neglected his duties and spent plenty of time at the construction site despite frequent visits of criminal investigation operatives accompanied by SWAT troopers. Rudakov had even stoically endured arrests. According to The CrimeRussia sources, as a result, a portion of the thieves’ pooled cash fund was entrusted to him. 

Instead of investing the criminal capitals into trusted, humble, and reliable ventures, Andryusha Kidalovo accepted a generous offer made by several corrupt officials from the Kursk Administration and purchased large areas of landscape lands not far from his home. Such lands can be acquired by individuals – but subject to numerous restrictions. For instance, to purchase landscape lands – let alone commence constructions works there – a decision of the municipal administration amending the urban development plan is required. This, in turn, may require a special resolution of the Municipal Assembly; it is very difficult to obtain such a resolution, in many situations – simply impossible.

The disputed lands

Was Rudakov aware of this? Probably, yes. At least, he has purchased the lands in the name of his father and assured the real owners of the money that this investment was 100% secure. Concurrently, he started hastily digging construction pits and establish foundations on the lands in order to re-zone them into “unfinished construction projects” as soon as possible – this allows to officially lay hands on the landscape areas over time. However, the Prosecutor’s Office may interfere and annul the agreements of purchase and sale through court action, thus, wasting the funds invested into the acquisition of lands. Such a scenario would make fugitive Vitya Pan very upset.

The blame for the losses would likely be put on Rudakov. The risk of this variant still exists – although only in theory: neither the administration, nor police, nor Prosecutor’s Office have expressed any interest to the suspicious land deals so far. However, the authorities may check their legitimacy any time. 

Upon a closer view, elements of crimes stipulated in Articles 159, 285, and 286 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (swindling, abuse of official powers, and exceeding official powers) can be clearly identified in this situation. Therefore, the ‘land investments’ of Andrei Rudakov may be audited by the watchdog authorities. 

The civil litigation enables the state to annul such deals even after the expiration of the 3-year action limitation period. Was Rudakov aware of this when he decided to invest the pooled cash fund of Vitya Pan into such a risky venture?

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