Elena Chirkinyan

Full Report

Key Points

• Identity and Role: Elena Chirkinyan, a Russian national with possible Armenian citizenship, is a key figure in the TGR Group, a global money laundering network, where she serves as second-in-command to George Rossi.
• Criminal Allegations: Sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in December 2024 for her role in facilitating money laundering for Russian elites, cybercriminals, and organized crime groups, including drug traffickers and ransomware operators.
• Operation Destabilise: The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) led a global investigation exposing TGR and Smart networks, linking Chirkinyan to laundering activities involving cryptocurrency and cash exchanges across over 30 countries.
• Professional Background: Previously employed by Oracle Capital Group, a wealth advisory firm linked to Tory donors, raising concerns about connections to political and financial elites.
• Sanctions and Impact: Chirkinyan’s assets are frozen in U.S. and UK jurisdictions, and she is prohibited from transactions in these regions. Her current whereabouts are unclear, possibly in Dubai.
• Cryptocurrency Involvement: Associated with a cryptocurrency address that received over $146,000, used to obscure illicit funds.

Overview

Elena Chirkinyan, aged 36, is a Russian national who may also hold Armenian citizenship. She has spent significant time in the United Kingdom, having attended Caterham School in Surrey and studied economics and business at Queen Mary University of London. Fluent in Russian, English, Armenian, and French, Chirkinyan presents herself as a business professional with a background in finance and wealth management. Her LinkedIn profile, which was edited in December 2024 to remove references to certain employment, previously indicated she worked as a business development specialist at Oracle Capital Group from 2019 to July 2024. This firm caters to ultra-high-net-worth individuals, particularly from Russia, Kazakhstan, and China, offering services like immigration assistance, company setup, and property investment.

Chirkinyan is a central figure in the TGR Group, a Russian-speaking money laundering network led by Ukrainian national George Rossi. The TGR Group, alongside the Smart network run by Ekaterina Zhdanova, facilitated illicit financial activities, including converting cash to cryptocurrency, enabling property purchases in Western countries, and evading sanctions for Russian elites. Chirkinyan is described as a decision-maker within TGR, managing operations like TGR Corporate Concierge LTD and TGR DWC-LLC, a UAE-based entity. Her involvement came to light through Operation Destabilise, a multi-year investigation led by the UK’s NCA, which exposed TGR’s role in supporting organized crime, ransomware payments, and espionage activities.

Allegations and Concerns

Chirkinyan faces serious allegations related to her role in the TGR Group, as outlined by the NCA and OFAC:

• Money Laundering: Chirkinyan is accused of orchestrating financial services that laundered billions of dollars for Russian elites, transnational crime groups like the Kinahans, and cybercriminals, including those behind the Ryuk ransomware, which extorted £27 million from UK victims.
• Sanctions Evasion: She allegedly helped Russian clients bypass UK and U.S. sanctions, facilitating property purchases and fund transfers, including for Russia Today (RT), a sanctioned Russian media outlet.
• Espionage Support: In 2023, Chirkinyan was involved in concealing fund transfers out of Russia, likely to support Russian-language media operations in the UK, potentially linked to espionage.
• Cryptocurrency Misuse: She is connected to a cryptocurrency address (TDdbRFoBTEmE3qiR69Y6rKRSG1hoF65QaE) that processed over $146,000, used to obscure the source of illicit funds.
• Association with Oracle Capital Group: Her employment at Oracle Capital Group, a firm tied to Tory donors and controversial figures like Denis Korotkov-Koganovich, raises questions about her ties to political and financial elites.

These allegations, backed by international law enforcement, indicate Chirkinyan’s deep involvement in a sophisticated criminal network, posing significant legal and ethical concerns.

Customer Feedback

As Chirkinyan is not a consumer-facing entity but a business professional tied to illicit activities, there are no direct customer reviews available. However, her professional persona on platforms like LinkedIn portrays her as a legitimate businesswoman. Before its revision in December 2024, her LinkedIn profile highlighted her role at Oracle Capital Group and included a shared article for Forbes Russia on investments and capital protection, suggesting an attempt to maintain a reputable public image. No specific positive or negative feedback from clients or colleagues is publicly documented, likely due to the clandestine nature of her TGR activities. The absence of consumer reviews and the sanitization of her online presence following the NCA investigation suggest an effort to distance herself from public scrutiny.

Risk Considerations

Chirkinyan’s activities present multiple risks:

• Financial Risks: Her involvement in money laundering and sanctions evasion makes any financial dealings with her or TGR entities highly risky. Assets linked to her are frozen in U.S. and UK jurisdictions, and transactions are prohibited, potentially leading to financial losses for unwitting partners.
• Reputational Risks: Association with Chirkinyan or TGR could severely damage the reputation of businesses or individuals, given her links to organized crime, ransomware, and espionage. Her past employment at Oracle Capital Group has already drawn scrutiny to that firm’s operations.
• Legal Risks: Chirkinyan’s sanctions status and ongoing investigations increase the likelihood of legal action against her or associated entities. Businesses or individuals engaging with her risk being implicated in criminal investigations or facing sanctions themselves.
• Operational Risks: The disruption caused by Operation Destabilise, including £20 million in seized assets, indicates that TGR’s operations are under significant pressure, potentially affecting any dependent parties.
• Geopolitical Risks: Her ties to Russian elites and state-sponsored activities, such as funding RT, align her with broader geopolitical tensions, increasing risks for entities operating in Western jurisdictions.

Business Relations and Associations

Chirkinyan’s key associations include:

• George Rossi: The Ukrainian-born leader of the TGR Group, with whom Chirkinyan collaborates closely as second-in-command. His whereabouts are currently unknown.
• Ekaterina Zhdanova: Head of the Smart network, a collaborator with TGR, currently in French custody. Zhdanova and Chirkinyan worked together to launder funds, including ransomware payments.
• Andrejs Bradens (aka Andrejs Carenoks): A Latvian national and TGR associate, also sanctioned by OFAC, involved in TGR’s operations.
• Oracle Capital Group: Chirkinyan worked for this wealth advisory firm from 2019 to July 2024, which serves high-net-worth individuals and has donated to the UK Conservative Party. The firm is linked to Denis Korotkov-Koganovich, a wealth manager with ties to controversial figures.
• TGR Entities: Includes TGR Partners, TGR DWC-LLC (UAE-based), TGR Corporate Concierge LTD (UK-based), and other entities like Siam Expert Trading Company Ltd (Thailand) and Pullman Global Solutions LLC (Wyoming), all sanctioned by OFAC.
• Kinahan Crime Syndicate: TGR laundered money for this transnational crime group, known for drug and firearms trafficking.
• Russian Elites and RT: Chirkinyan facilitated financial transactions for Russian elites and potentially supported espionage activities linked to Russia Today.

These associations highlight Chirkinyan’s deep connections to both criminal and elite financial networks, spanning multiple jurisdictions.

Legal and Financial Concerns

• OFAC Sanctions (December 2024): Chirkinyan, along with Rossi, Bradens, and TGR entities, was sanctioned by OFAC, freezing her assets in U.S. and UK jurisdictions and prohibiting transactions.
• NCA Investigation (Operation Destabilise): The NCA’s investigation led to 84 arrests, including 71 in the UK, and the seizure of £20 million in cash and cryptocurrency. While Chirkinyan has not been arrested, her role in TGR makes her a target for ongoing investigations.
• No Bankruptcy or Debt Records: No public records indicate personal bankruptcy or unpaid debts for Chirkinyan, though her sanctioned status severely limits her financial operations.
• Potential Property Seizures: The NCA identified TGR’s role in laundering funds for UK property purchases, which may lead to asset seizures, though specific properties linked to Chirkinyan are not publicly named.

Risk Assessment Table

Elena Chirkinyan’s involvement in the TGR Group places her at the center of a sophisticated, multi-billion-dollar money laundering network, posing significant risks to any associated parties. Her professional background, including her education and work at Oracle Capital Group, suggests a calculated effort to blend into legitimate financial circles while facilitating illicit activities. The TGR Group’s operations, uncovered through Operation Destabilise, reveal a complex web of cash-to-cryptocurrency exchanges that supported organized crime, ransomware, and espionage, making Chirkinyan a high-risk individual.