According to the VChK-OGPU and Rucriminal.info, former top manager of DOM.RF (a state bank created for "development in the Russian Federation's housing sector") Yana Bakaldina was found to be involved in schemes to steal apartments from elderly people. Her common-law husband, lawyer Elshad Ragimov, is currently on trial for one of these scams. Bakaldina herself has evaded the investigation and now works at M2, the largest real estate service for private realtors and agencies.
Hearings in the case of lawyer Elshad Ragimov recently began in Moscow's Cheremushkinsky District Court. However, all parties involved are also eyeing women from his circle: his common-law wife, Yana Bakaldina, and Mekhpara's sister. Ismailov. According to the prosecution, a family-run business carried out a scam, depriving a helpless 85-year-old retired couple of their homes. But this episode may be just the tip of the iceberg. Similar scams were commonplace.
The story began on October 30, 2022, when two men and a woman visited the elderly couple. The apartment's owners were both 85 years old—an age when trust in people in expensive suits and confident speech is boundless.
The guests assured the elderly couple that they were on assignment from government agencies to help the elderly with the "correct" registration of property documents, protecting them from fraudsters. The elderly couple, unsuspecting, agreed to go to the State Services Center. There, in the presence of Ragimov and his companion, Bakaldina, they slipped the pensioner a purchase and sale agreement for his own apartment to sign.
According to the case materials, the lawyer cynically took advantage of the fact that It turned out that the old man didn't read the papers carefully, believing he was signing some "technical" forms necessary for the "correct" registration of the property. It was later established that the buyer was... Ragimov's sister, Mekhpara Ismailova. The contract listed a sum of 7.8 million rubles, which the victims, of course, never saw. The forged receipt for the money had been prepared in advance.
The most interesting thing about this case is the distribution of roles within the criminal tandem. While Ragimov was "cultivating" the old men, his common-law wife, Yana Bakaldina, acted as a "cover group." She not only accompanied her common-law husband, but, as was revealed during the investigation, also edited all the documents.
During interrogation, Bakaldina herself stated that she was merely "correcting spelling," claiming she was unaware of her common-law partner's criminal intentions. However, Bakaldina is not just A housewife. She's a real estate professional. She not only headed a division of DOM.RF, but was the face of the state-owned bank. Specifically, Bakaldina was responsible for the DOM.RF Bank Mortgage School program, held open master classes, lectures, and so on. She then began working, and continues to do so, at the "Square Meter" (M2) housing solution platform.
According to the victims, Bakaldina is the "catcher" who sought out socially vulnerable and legally illiterate citizens. Moreover, this process was streamlined. Soon after the scam, the pensioners' apartment was re-registered to Yana Bakaldina and successfully sold. The investigation was unable to determine where the money went.
In August 2023, when it became clear that a criminal case might be opened based on the elderly couple's complaint, 2 million rubles were deposited into their account. This amount became "compensation" and, according to the scammers, was intended to turn the pensioners' apartment into a profitable business. A criminal offense turned into a civil dispute. It didn't work.
A special figure in this story is Mekhpara Ismailova, Ragimov's sister. She, like her brother, is a lawyer. It was in her name that the apartment of the defrauded elderly couple was initially registered. But, as it turns out, this wasn't the only apartment that passed through Ms. Ismailova's hands. Powers of attorney for other properties were also found—it was a well-oiled conveyor belt.
The pensioners were left not only homeless but also without a defense. In dire financial circumstances, they couldn't hire a lawyer. The victims believe the criminals exploited this, hoping for impunity. But there were people who helped the elderly couple contact law enforcement.
Currently, criminal case No. 12502450001000050 against Elshad Ragimov is being heard in the Cheryomushkinsky Court. Yana Bakaldina and Mekhpara The Ismailovs managed to wriggle out of this particular incident.
However, according to the victims, this trio is involved in a series of similar crimes. The victims were single or elderly people, who were deprived of their square footage by professional real estate players, exploiting their legal ignorance and gullibility. Investigations into other incidents are currently underway.
