Portugal’s most powerful investigative prosecutors have taken over a money laundering probe involving a Ukrainian film producer tied to an alleged multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency fraud network, underscoring growing international concern over the intersection of crypto scams, celebrity promotion, and cross-border financial crime.

An elite unit of Portugal’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP), has assumed control of an investigation into Elvira Gavrilova Paterson, a Ukrainian public relations executive and producer of an upcoming Kevin Spacey film. Gavrilova is accused of maintaining close ties with Vladimir Okhotnikov, a Russian crypto entrepreneur facing criminal convictions and indictments in multiple countries.

The probe was launched last year after two Portuguese banks reported suspicious financial activity linked to Gavrilova’s accounts. Among the red flags was a cash deposit of approximately $312,000, an unusually large sum that triggered mandatory alerts under Portugal’s anti-money laundering regulations. According to reporting by Expresso, a partner of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the escalation of the case to DCIAP signals that authorities now consider the matter complex and high priority.

Gavrilova, currently based in Portugal, is the founder of Elledgy Media, a public relations firm that experienced explosive financial growth between 2024 and 2025. During that period, ICIJ found, Gavrilova played a central role in organizing lavish, celebrity-filled events across Europe and the Middle East to promote Okhotnikov’s crypto ventures.

These events often took place on the margins of prestigious international film festivals, including Cannes and Venice, blurring the line between entertainment promotion and financial marketing. According to ICIJ’s Coin Laundry investigation, these gatherings were used to lend legitimacy and glamour to Okhotnikov’s start-ups, attracting unsuspecting investors.

Okhotnikov, who co-produced, co-wrote, and appeared in the Kevin Spacey-led science fiction film Holiguards Saga – The Portal of Force, resides in the United Arab Emirates. He fled there while facing criminal proceedings in both the United States and Georgia.

In 2023, US prosecutors indicted Okhotnikov for allegedly orchestrating a massive fraud through a cryptocurrency platform known as Forsage. According to the indictment, the platform functioned as a Ponzi and pyramid scheme that siphoned at least $340 million from investors worldwide.

The following year, a court in Tbilisi, Georgia, sentenced Okhotnikov in absentia to 10 years in prison for laundering $1.1 million in proceeds linked to the same scheme. Despite these convictions and charges, Okhotnikov continued launching new ventures, including his latest platform, Meta Whale.

ICIJ reporters found that Meta Whale closely mirrors Forsage in structure and operation. Both platforms rely on so-called smart contracts-self-executing programs stored on blockchain networks. While Okhotnikov has publicly claimed that such technology ensures transparency and fairness, blockchain experts interviewed by ICIJ warned that these contracts can be deliberately designed to funnel money upward to insiders while giving the illusion of decentralized control.

Following the publication of ICIJ’s findings, regulators and law enforcement agencies in several countries moved swiftly to issue warnings and take action against Meta Whale.

In December, Vietnam’s cybersecurity police shut down the platform’s local operations and arrested three promoters accused of facilitating an illegal multi-level marketing scheme. According to Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, the promoters admitted that their income came largely from recruiting new participants rather than legitimate investment activity. Authorities estimated that around 2,000 Vietnamese users had poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the scheme.

Financial watchdogs in Australia and Canada also issued public warnings cautioning citizens against investing in Meta Whale, citing concerns over its structure and lack of regulatory approval.

Okhotnikov, who has consistently denied all wrongdoing, did not respond to requests for comment from ICIJ.

At the center of Portuguese investigators’ interest is the financial transformation of Gavrilova’s company, Elledgy Media. Since beginning her collaboration with Okhotnikov, the firm’s turnover surged dramatically.

Bank records reviewed by ICIJ show that Elledgy paid at least $1.2 million in 2024 alone to produce The Portal of Force, a sci-fi film featuring Eric Roberts, Dolph Lundgren, and Tyrese Gibson. Kevin Spacey directed and starred in the film.

As of May 2025, Elledgy had received at least $4 million from more than a dozen companies based across Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Spain. Several of these firms were registered as courier services, limousine companies, or construction businesses. Two Berlin-based courier companies alone wired more than $1.4 million to Elledgy over a six-month period.

Yet investigative reporters visiting the listed addresses of several of these firms found no active businesses. Instead, they encountered empty offices, co-working spaces with only mailboxes, and no visible employees-classic indicators of shell companies used to move money while obscuring its origin.

The growing scrutiny has already had tangible consequences. A planned Lisbon premiere of The Portal of Force, scheduled for December 2025, was abruptly cancelled following ICIJ’s revelations about Gavrilova’s ties to Okhotnikov. No official explanation was provided.

Portuguese authorities have not publicly detailed the scope of the investigation, but legal experts note that the involvement of DCIAP suggests potential charges extending beyond money laundering, including organized crime and international financial fraud.

Gavrilova has so far remained silent. She did not respond to reporters’ questions regarding the investigation, despite recently appearing at a high-profile gala held at US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

The investigation into Gavrilova and her financial dealings highlights a broader pattern uncovered by ICIJ’s Coin Laundry project: the crypto industry’s ability to generate enormous profits from opaque, lightly regulated systems while leaving victims with little recourse.

As Portuguese prosecutors dig deeper into the flow of money behind Elledgy Media, the case may become a critical test of Europe’s ability to confront transnational crypto fraud networks that exploit celebrity culture, weak oversight, and complex financial structures.

For now, the probe stands as a stark reminder that behind the red carpets and blockchain buzzwords, serious questions remain about accountability, enforcement, and the true cost of the global crypto boom.

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