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........

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