A couple was allegedly kidnapped and held for ransom before being butchered and buried in a desert in the UAE.
Authorities are currently investigating the suspicious passings of Roman Novak and his wife Anna, who were living a lavish, wealthy lifestyle in Dubai.
Prior to his disappearance, Roman was a crypto fraudster who allegedly fled with $500 million, thus leading investigators to explore whether he was kidnapped as part of a revenge plot.
HighlightsRoman Novak and his wife Anna were allegedly held for ransom in what investigators suspect was a revenge plot.The scammer husband had allegedly fled with $500 million, leaving his investors high and dry,He and his wife were last seen at a resort on the outskirts of Dubai.“Dubai has become the dumping ground for all the dirty characters,” one commented online.RELATED:Roman Novak and his wife Anna were allegedly held for ransom before being butchered and buried in a desert in the UAE
Trigger warning: This article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
Roman Novak and his wife Anna were last seen on October 2 on the outskirts of Dubai.
Their driver dropped them off at a mountain resort near a lake in the Hatta area, close to the UAE border with Oman. They had arrived for what they thought was a meeting with potential investors.
The couple then got inside another vehicle and were never seen again.
After being taken to a villa in the town of Hatta, the alleged kidnappers demanded the password to Roman’s crypto wallet, which they eventually found was empty.
When the kidnappers failed to gain access to the couple’s crypto funds, they allegedly attacked Roman and Anna and ended their lives.
The Russian couple’s driver dropped them ata resort on the outskirts of Dubai before things went awry
Reports claimed their bodies were dismembered and buried in the desert.
Certain body parts were scattered and wound up in trash cans at a shopping mall, some reports claimed.
“According to preliminary information, Novak and his wife were kidnapped for ransom,” a source told Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda.
“When the criminals realized they wouldn’t get the money, they k***ed both of them,” the source added.
The couple left behind two young children, who were placed in their relatives’ care following the suspicious passings.
The kidnappers allegedly demanded access to the crypto mogul’s digital currency
Roman and Anna were known to be living lavish lifestyles in Dubai.
Their online photos often captured them in expensive cars like a Rolls-Royce and a vintage British Cobra car.
They were also seen in private jets and taking extravagant international vacations.
Roman built a reputation for being a notorious figure in the Russian crypto scene. He presented himself as the founder of a crypto payment platform called Fintopio and raised around $500 million from prominent investors in China, Russia, and the Middle East.
But after hoarding the investment money, Roman allegedly fled with the cash, leaving investors high and dry.
Roman allegedly fled with $500 million, leaving his investors high and dry
Fintopio announced in October that its crypto wallet services would be closed to take time to “review [their] operations and determine the best path forward.”
Prior to fleeing with his investors’ money, Roman was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison in 2020 for another large-scale fraud case.
Roman moved in 2023 after being granted parole to the UAE, where he continued seeking out investors for other ventures.
Following the couple’s passing, authorities identified eight suspects, three of whom were alleged organizers of the kidnapping plot and five of whom were hired intermediaries.
The couple left behind two children, who were placed in their relatives’ care following their suspicious passing
In an unrelated incident, another Russian crypto millionaire recently lost his life after his Lamborghini flipped over on a highway and erupted in flames.
Alexei Dolgikh, 36, became a money laundering suspect just months before his $431,450-worth luxury car rammed into a crash barrier in Moscow.
Another Russian crypto millionaire lost his life in a fiery crash in Moscow
The crypto businessman was driving with three other friends at 93 mph when he lost control of the vehicle.
The Lamborghini Urus went flying upside down, smashed into the busy road, and erupted into an explosion.
Alexei instantly lost his life in the fiery crash, along with another passenger Ivan Solovyov. Two others were rushed to the hospital with injuries.
At the site of the explosion, parts of the car and wads of cash were seen strewn across the highway.
Alexei racked up 586 fines since buying his $431,450 Lamborghini Urus
A few months before the crash, the crypto millionaire was reportedly blacklisted by Russian banks due to suspected money laundering.
He reportedly bought the Lamborghini 15 months before the crash and accumulated 586 fines, most of which were for speeding.
“According to preliminary information, at night on International Highway, the driver of a Lamborghini hit an obstacle, after which the vehicle overturned and caught fire,” the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
“As a result of the accident, two young guys were k***ed, two more were hospitalized with injuries,” the statement continued.
Of the two injured victims, one was left with an open leg fracture, and the second sustained multiple fractures, the statement added.
“Dubai has become the dumping ground for all the dirty characters,” one commented online
