City Court No. 2 of Aktobe has examined a criminal case against a pensioner, I. Zholaman, and a mathematics teacher, B. Nurgul, who were accused of creating and running a financial pyramid, as well as laundering money obtained through criminal means.
According to the Kazinform news agency, Zholaman previously worked as a lawyer. Last year, in an attempt to earn extra income, he followed a link on social media to an offer of online work.
As reported, an unknown man who introduced himself as Ivan invited him to join the company Harmony Rider Technology (HRT). After this, Zholaman coordinated further actions with Nurgul, and they began promoting a scheme that was later recognised as a financial pyramid.
According to the organisers, the company HRT, registered in the US state of Colorado, allegedly manufactured electric scooters. Citizens were offered the chance to 'buy' virtual scooters and earn money by renting them out.
Participation required registering in the HRT app, purchasing a virtual asset, and inviting new users, for which bonuses were awarded.
As established in court, the money went into the user's personal account in the form of USDT cryptocurrency. Later, these funds could be exchanged for real money via the OKX crypto exchange. According to the prosecution, from March to December 2024, participants invested 197 million tenge in the project.
The court passed its sentence: I. Zholaman was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment with confiscation of property, and B. Nurgul to 5 years' imprisonment. Both received a ban on working in the financial sector for a period of 7 years. The court partially upheld the civil claims of the victims. In court, the convicted individuals did not admit their guilt.